Life's Ending, Life's Beginning
by becuzitswrong
Summary: After the events of graduation go horribly wrong, Buffy leaves Sunnydale for another future.
1. Chapter One—Cataclysm

**Life's Ending, Life's Beginning**

**Chapter One—Cataclysm**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own either the Buffy franchise nor Stargate, so allow me my ramblings, which are for entertainment purposes only.

**Rating:** FR18 for violence. There may be some romance later, but don't look for it until much later in the story.

**Author's Note:** Do not look for Jack, Sam, Daniel, or Teal'c to show up for a while, folks. The first few chapters are going to be about what went wrong and Buffy dealing with the aftermath.

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Dead. They were all dead. Giles, Willow, Xander, Angel, Joyce, and Hank. Killed by a mistake that never should have happened. When Buffy and her Scooby gang had planned how best to stop the Mayor, it had been Xander who had first made the suggestion about using a man-made eruption, an explosion, to stop him. Just as a volcano had stopped the last Ascension, they could stop this one. He even knew where to get enough explosives to do the job. They had all been blissfully ignorant of the possible consequences.

When Xander rigged the school to blow using ANFO, Ammonium Nitrate and Fuel Oil, he had not really understood the quantities needed. His soldier memories told him the formula and how to calculate the amount needed, but it was Xander the high school slacker who actually did the calculations. Too much time spent sleeping in class rather than paying attention, coupled with typical sloppiness, had led Xander to miss the amount of explosives he needed by a factor of twenty. Since he had no practical experience with explosives to go with the theory provided by his memories, he had not questioned the ten tons of fertilizer that was to be mixed with 1400 lbs of fuel oil, packed into fifty-five-gallon drums, which would help contain the explosive pressure, allowing for actual detonation.

Buffy hadn't even considered his calculations might be wrong, even when the entire library was encircled with the explosives, merely thinking that the Mayor was definitely in for a surprise. Giles and the others had been too busy moving books and recruiting students to worry about the explosives beyond asking Xander if he thought that he would finish on time, to which he replied affirmatively. Xander _had_ finished on time, raiding his Uncle Rory's farming supply warehouse for the ammonium nitrate.

The endless trips back and forth from the warehouse, using some of the boys from the senior class to help, had resulted in huge stacks of fertilizer everywhere. The many fifty-five-gallon drums of mixed fertilizer and fuel oil, now officially ANFO, rigged with det cord and C-4, stolen from the nearby Army base to act as a booster to ensure reliable detonation, were put in place and rigged to blow using a plunger-type detonator. They had run the wires quite a distance from the school, "Just in case of flying desks," as Xander had jokingly put it. Everything was going according to plan.

When Buffy had led the Mayor-turned-giant-snake through the school and into the library, she had run like the wind, moving in excess of fifty miles per hour, as fast as she had ever run since becoming the Slayer. Bursting through the library doors, she had scampered through the library itself, before darting out the back entrance. When Buffy had seen the stacks and stacks of explosives while on her way through, she had, for the first time, a premonition of disaster. There had been just so much, covering nearly every square foot of floor space.

Running towards her watcher, who was standing up behind the heavy concrete abutment they had previously chosen for shelter, holding the detonator, about to depress the plunger, she put on one last burst of speed and literally leaped forward, up and over the concrete lip, dropping neatly behind it, its bulk sheltering her. Giles detonated the explosives before she had even hit the ground, not waiting for her to regain her feet and take the detonator from him. Maybe he saw the walls of the school bulging from the Mayor about to make his exit.

Buffy would never know. She no sooner hit the ground then it felt as if the entire world went mad. The ground came up and struck her, the world an endless sensation of roaring orange light and burning intense sound. She felt more than saw Giles go spinning away from her, lost in the distress caused by her overwhelmed senses. Finally, the worst of it stopped, and she could see a pall of smoke over everything from where she lay on the ground, still sheltered by concrete and steel.

Choking from smoke, Buffy had staggered back to her feet. The first image she saw upon rising was a towering spire of black smoke outlined by flashes of flame where the school had been. Nothing appeared intact except a few bricks hugging the foundation of what used to be a school. The concrete edges of the abutment that had protected her were shattered and broken, steel rebar peeking out of the concrete housing like broken bones from a corpse. Turning her back upon the blazing fire and smothering heat,

Buffy's eyes fell upon the still form of her Watcher. Giles lay crumpled on the ground nearly fifty feet away. Running to his side, calling his name, "Giles! Oh my God! Are you alright?" Buffy dropped to her knees next to him. She immediately knew he was dead. The upper left half of his head was missing, sheared off somehow, the expression on what was left of his face one of astonishment, rather than fear or pain. Heedless of the blood covering him, Buffy took him into her arms, rocking him and crying quietly. After a few minutes, she pressed one final kiss to his sooty cheek before laying him gently back to the ground. Arranging his arms at his sides, Buffy said goodbye to the man who was the closest thing to a father she had had these last three years, "I love you, Giles. I won't forget you."

Moving to check on the others, despite the tears still blinding her, she circled the funeral pyre of Sunnydale High. Rounding the remains of the building, she came upon a scene of horror. As bad as the blast had been out back, it appeared to have been even worse here. Later, she understood that the load-bearing frame of the the building had to some degree focused the blast wave in some directions, while attenuating it in others before finally pulverizing under the sheer intensity. Unfortunately, the directions it had focused the blast wave had been opposite ones. Towards her and Giles, _and_ towards the students and vampires duking it out up front.

She and Giles had been much farther from the school than those fighting out front. Buffy had been knocked senseless despite being sheltered and the Slayer, while Giles had been killed by flying debris. Out front, everything was simply gone. The entire area was leveled with nothing intact. Nothing remained alive in the area. Of the students, vampires, and audience, all were gone, both the living or undead. Buffy blinked away tears, the scene abruptly coming back into focus. A scene of shattered brick and debris; and torn and crushed flesh; bodies lying in piece, not even recognizable as human; everything burnt and blackened. The vision before her was a window into the Abyss.

Numb, she wandered through the infernal vista, trying to find some hint of the fates of Willow, Xander, Angel, and her parents. Everything was camouflaged by jumping shadows, painted with shades of orange and red from the towering flames of the burning building. Her mom had been too stubborn to leave when Buffy had begged her, and her father had made a surprise visit to see her graduate. As he had explained it the night before, he wanted to apologize for missing her birthday and hoped to regain the closeness they used to share. He wanted to be a better father.

She had been hesitant to believe him, but had felt a tendril of hope inside her at his sincerity. Buffy still missed her dad, despite having Giles. She had finally hugged him, welcoming him back into her heart. Buffy remembered how happy she had been at knowing her dad was coming to her graduation. Of course she knew he would find out about her being the Slayer, which seemed the only drawback. After briefly speaking to Joyce, Buffy had agreed to wait to tell Hank about the whole Slayer thing until after graduation, when he would have seen the proof of it with his own eyes. That way, the first thing he would do, wouldn't be to call a psychiatric hospital for a reservation to a the padded cell, in a repeat performance of the last time Buffy had discussed her calling with him. Now she would never know how he would have responded. She would never see either of them again.

Catching a glimpse of red hair, Buffy abruptly turned away, swallowing against the rancid taste of bile in her throat. The fragments of red hair dripped with blood, giblets of flesh clinging, appearing to have been ripped off by terrible force. 'Willow...oh God, Willow,' Buffy's silent lament echoed through her head as she lost her battle against nausea and fell to her knees, vomiting. Racked by dry heaves, Buffy ran from the scene, before the first of what appeared to be dozens of emergency vehicles, ambulances and firetrucks, arrived. Running as fast as she could, she lost herself in the mechanics of the movement, anything to delay her acknowledgment of grief, of what she'd lost.

Buffy finally stopped in a familiar graveyard, miles from where she had started, breathing hard more from sobbing while running than the running itself. Even here, she could see the dull orange glow on the horizon, smell the faint odor of burnt flesh and ashy death. The overcast sky finally fulfilled its promise and a slow dull rain began to fall. Buffy ignored the wetness at first, but finally sought shelter in the doorway of a particularly ornate crypt, probably built for someone who had not wanted to be forgotten, but whose legacy were still ultimately lost in the sands of time.

With her back against the doorway, Buffy sat down and hugged her knees to her chest, pain and grief overwhelming her, choking her, as rancid as the taste of vomit so soon before. She spat, trying to rid her mouth of the sour taste , finally reaching forth to catch some of the rain drops, pouring them into her mouth, first rinsing it, then swallowing, quenching a sudden, raging thirst. When she drank her fill, Buffy huddled into the doorway and cried, lost in memories and dreams of what might have been.

_Early the next morning..._

Morning found her still sitting, lost in her despair. Realizing she could not sit there forever, Buffy got to her feet, heading home. The rain had ceased a couple of hours before dawn. When she reached her house, she saw her mom's car parked out front. Hope flared in her chest. Running into the house as fast as her feet could carry her, she quickly unlocked the front door, running inside.

"Mom! Mom! Are you here?" Buffy's shouts fell upon deaf ears as no one answered. She leaped up the stairs hurrying to check first her mom's room and then her own. Neither had been slept in. That was when it hit her. Of course her mom had caught a ride with her dad. It would have made no sense to them to take two cars when they were both going to the same place. When they were both getting along so well. That was why her mom's car was still there. The ache in her chest, which had for a moment subsided, returned, redoubled in force, strangling her with chains of despair. Buffy thought she would drown in grief. Walking slowly back to her room, Buffy went inside and lay on her bed. Wet and cold, she curled up under the covers, hugging Mr. Gordo to her breast. Crying again, she finally slept.


	2. Chapter Two—Grieving

**Chapter Two—Grieving**

_Two weeks later_

Buffy slowly trudged up the walk of her house, feeling tired and drained. It had been a harrowing two weeks. She had arranged and attended the funerals of both her parents and Giles. She had also attended the funerals of Xander, Willow, Cordelia, and Oz. At least she had not had to arrange the funerals of her friends as well as her parents. They had better luck in persuading their parents to stay home or at least Willow and Oz had. Xander and Cordy's parents had not even planned to come, one set too busy drinking, the other too busy dealing with the IRS.

It had taken Buffy three days to get out of bed after she had gone to sleep following the events of graduation. Overcome with grief, she had spent most of the days and nights in a kind of waking sleep, completely numb. Finally hunger had driven her from her cocoon and made her head downstairs to the kitchen. Her Slayer metabolism had punished her body severely, causing her to lose pounds she could ill afford, giving her an almost honed appearance. Buffy had stuffed herself, then gone back to bed. Thus had the next two days gone. Finally on Wednesday, the ringing of the telephone had roused her and she had gone to answer it.

"Hello"

"This is Sergeant Mathers with the Sunnydale Police Department. I am part of the task force assigned to investigate the gas explosion of Sunnydale High School. Is this Mrs. Summers?" The masculine voice was somewhat tentative. Too much dealing with the grief-stricken had taken the crispness from his voice, leaving it bleached and hollow.

Closing her eyes against fresh tears, Buffy replied, "No, I'm Buffy Summers. My mom died at the graduation-"

"Buffy Summers? You surv... er were at the graduation, Miss Summers?" The excitement in his voice was palpable.

"Yes, I was there," Buffy softly replied.

"I need to speak to you immediately, Miss Summers. Can you come down the the station as soon as possible please? We could really use your help."

The insistence in his voice grated on Buffy's sensitive nerves. She had to choke back an urge to scream into the telephone receiver and forced herself to reply calmly, "I'll be down as soon as I can."

Putting the receiver down, Buffy had gone back upstairs, and resisting the urge to crawl back into bed, had gone into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Clucking at the mess in her hair, she had spent more time getting clean than she had planned. Getting dressed, she had walked down to the police station, both for the exercise and to delay her dealings with the police as long as possible. After speaking to Sgt. Mathers, she learned that the police believed it was a faulty gas main that had caused the blast. Apparently there was one located right below the school. Their theory had been that gas had leaked out, completely filling the school, until finally sparking, setting off an enormous explosion. Buffy neither confirmed nor denied smelling gas the day of the graduation, leaving their story in place as an explanation. She was surprised that the plunger-thingy had not been found, or any other evidence of the true nature of the explosion. Then again, the Sunnydale Police were known for creating their own versions of "the truth" on a regular basis.

Her own survival was more problematic. Apparently she was the _only_ survivor among the attendees. The police were amazed that she survived, but surprisingly did not closely question her vague answer that she did not really remember how she had survived. While the police were not a problem, the press were. The national press had descended upon Sunnydale seeking a STORY. Fortunately, the police officers Buffy spoke with promised to keep a lid on her identify, knowing that if the press found out they would torment her. The police were enormously sympathetic to the young girl who had lost her parents, friends, and classmates to disaster. After taking her statement, they smuggled her out of the station and back home.

Buffy had been unable to go back into her self-imposed coma again. Still hurting deeply from the loss of so many who were close to her, she nevertheless had decided to deal with the details of arranging her parents' funerals. She had officially "claimed" their bodies when at the police station, unfortunately only receiving two death certificates; nothing of their mortal remains existed. Buffy had contacted a funeral home to take care of the arrangements, which had been surprisingly easy. They had understood the situation and made the sensible suggestion of receiving urns for her parents rather than caskets as there were no remains to inter. This did double duty by keeping the costs down as well. Later Buffy added an urn for Giles as well, not sure he had anyone willing to do this for him.

Buffy contacted what relatives she knew of, mostly from her mom's side of the family. Her dad was an only child with only one uncle as far as she knew. She couldn't reach the uncle. She had better luck with her mom's sister, Aunt Barbara, her dead cousin Cecilia's mother. When Buffy reached her, Aunt Barbara took over calling the rest of their relatives. The turn out for the funeral had still been somewhat sparse, primarily because there just weren't that many relatives left.

After the funeral, Aunt Barbara had tried to get Buffy to come stay with her. Buffy had been tempted, but couldn't see herself living in Sacramento. It was just too far north and too far from the Hellmouth. In the end she had declined Aunt Barbara's invitation, telling her she needed some time alone to come to grips with her grief. Her aunt had looked at her with a shadow behind her eyes, and merely commented, "One thing I know is that being alone isn't the best way to deal with grief when someone you love dies."

Buffy had also contacted the various parents of her friends to find out dates and times of their funerals. She had arranged to attend each of their funerals as well as the ceremony that was held to mourn all of the dead of Sunnydale. Of the funerals of her friends that she had attended, Willow's had been the hardest. As she had watched the casket being lowered into the ground, Buffy had wondered if any part of Willow was in there, flashing back to the piece she had found after the blast. She had not made it halfway through the service when she broke down and started sobbing. Buffy had been surprised when Willow's father had walked around the grave site to pull her into his arms, holding her as she grieved. Neither he nor Mrs. Rosenberg had cried, at least not where Buffy had seen. She took what comfort she could from the soft pats on her back and the gentle reassuring murmurs of the large man holding her. Afterwards, he had told her that if she ever needed anything to call him.

Buffy had held Giles' service privately, with only the earth and sky for witnesses. She had not even hired a pastor, preferring to spend the time alone with Giles in her thoughts. She regretted the distance that had come between them after the Cruciamentum. She had ultimately come to trust Giles again, but couldn't remember if she had ever told him. That bothered her a great deal. She hoped he knew how much she had come to love him.

Finishing all of the funerals for her own parents and Giles had left her drained, cried out. Buffy had never felt so much grief or felt the depths of misery to which a person can descend before. Not even when sending Angel to Hell and getting kicked out of her home, chased by the police, had things felt so difficult. That those events had made her stronger were a given, but even with the additional strength, she felt brittle, like the next stray word or kind gesture would shatter her into a million pieces.

Going to see Faith had been devastating. Today was the first time she had gone to see the other Slayer since putting her into a coma, and she was hesitant. She had finally gone despite her misgivings. When Buffy had arrived at the Richard Wilkins III Long Term Care Facility, she had seen someone unexpected. She spotted Quentin Travers going in ahead of her. She had followed him, staying just out of sight. He had stopped just outside an open door, speaking to a shadowy form within. Buffy had strained her senses to the utmost to hear the low murmur of conversation.

"So it's finished?"

"Yes, she's gone. The next Slayer will have been called."

"Well enough then"

"I didn't like doing this, to someone helpless like her. It's one thing to kill a vampire or demon, and another to kill a 17-year-old girl in her sleep." The unknown man's voice revealed stress and uncertainty.

"It had to be done, Smithers. With Buffy Summers dead, we don't have the luxury of being able to wait until Faith wakes, assuming she ever would. Even if she had woken in a timely manner, there is little likelihood she would be rational and willing to return to active Slaying." Quentin Travers spoke calmly, but with an undertone of sadness.

"Well... it's over and done with now. Will you be sending the new Slayer and her Watcher here then?"

"Yes. Once we know which of the potentials has been Chosen. If nothing else, the situation of the Mayor's ascension has shown there to be the need for an active Slayer here on the Hellmouth for the foreseeable future. We've already acquired Rupert's apartment and most of his books with it. We've moved his personal possessions out. We'll send those to his family."

"Do you think she'll do better than the last two?"

"Better than Faith? With no doubt. Better than Buffy Summers? She accomplished quite a lot in her time. Not the least of which was changing my mind about the usefulness of family and friends in helping a Slayer stay alive. I rather doubted their usefulness at first and fired Rupert for it. A father's love... humpf. After the events of the last few months, I've had a change of heart. I had planned on reinstating Rupert Giles as her Watcher after the balls up that Wesley Wyndam-Pryce made of things. Buffy convinced me that the closeness she shared with her Watcher was not necessarily a bad thing. God knows, he would have died for her and she for him. I don't know if the next slayer will be the kind of person who can continue this... tradition, but then only time will tell."

"Let's get out of here. The nurses will be by soon and find her body..." Their voices faded in the distance as the two men walked down the corridor, leaving by another exit.

Buffy had gone down the hallway and entered the room. She had noticed the still form on the bed and crossing the room, had stood over her. Faith was dead. The vitality that she had possessed in such abundance was absent, nothing left but an empty shell. Buffy took Faith's hand, squeezing it firmly as she stared at the young face. Of all the ways to die, this would have been the last she would have chosen for Faith. Killed by vampires or demons would have been a more fitting end. Buffy thought of chasing down the hallway after Quentin and killing both the murderer and the commissioner of that murder, but could not summon the will. There had been too much death already. After a few minutes, she laid the hand back onto the sheets, placed a kiss upon the cooling brow of the body, and turned and left.

As Buffy trudged up the walkway to her home, she pondered Faith's fate. In some ways she almost envied the girl; at least her fight was over. No more vampires; no more death; no more losing the ones she loved. She finally had peace. Buffy's musings were interrupted as a figure stirred in the shadows of her front porch.

"Slayer, we need to talk."

Buffy looked with intense dislike upon the revealed figure. "Whistler..."


	3. Chapter Three—An Alternative Offer

**Chapter Three—An Alternative Offer**

"What the fuck do you want, Whistler?" Buffy demanded, deep anger showing in her voice. She couldn't believe the bastard had shown up so soon after the explosion.

Whistler, for his part, looked, really looked, at the young girl in front of him. She appeared drained, all vitality gone. Even her bright, blonde locks seemed duller. Her face was noticeably thinner than the last time he had seen her. Her clothes hung on her frame. But it was the eyes that had changed the most. That spark that all slayers possessed, and that Buffy Summers possessed more of than most, was missing. Her eyes, the window into her soul, were dark and empty. Her clothes reflected her mood as well. Her normal choice of bright colors and the latest fashions was in hiatus, replaced by dark, dull colors with a slightly dowdy appearance. Whistler briefly considered delaying his mission for a while, giving Buffy more time to recover. However, he knew that the Powers would not tolerate any delays. They saw too much room for disaster if Buffy's relocation was delayed. It would take a certain amount of time to achieve as it was. Even with a time line spanning years, any extra delays might condemn the world. All he could do would be to break the news as compassionately as possible.

"I think it would be best to go inside. You don't want your neighbors hearing this." Whistler gestured for her to proceed him into the house.

"Fine." Walking past him, she opened the door and walked through. She didn't invite him in, but left it for him to enter if he could. Whistler stepped in behind her, looking around. The house appeared empty, and curiously lifeless, as if it too, were missing those who had died.

"Slayer... Buffy, I have a message from the Powers That Be for you. But first, I wanted to say how sorry _I_ am about what happened to your loved ones. I am so sorry that you are hurting." Whistler's voice was gentle, his eyes filled with compassion. Buffy met his eyes briefly, before looking away. The last thing she needed was to start crying again. Especially when facing Whistler. Knowing that whatever he wanted wouldn't be good. It was unlikely she would enjoy hearing the message he bore.

Controlling her tears with great effort, she replied, "Thanks for that at least. But if you were truly sorry, you would turn around and leave. I'm so not in the mood for you and your bosses right now. I've just come from seeing Faith. She's dead. I don't know if I can take any more bad news."

Whistler winced. This wasn't going well. But it would only get harder. Best to be upfront with her. "Buffy, what happened to all of you was... unexpected. No one saw it coming. Not the Powers, not the seers, not anyone. Xander's been a wild card since the beginning. Being exposed to Janus's influence on Halloween two years ago, only made it worse. Certainly the Powers didn't foresee the deaths of so many. They've been scrambling around trying to figure out a solution. My coming here was a last resort. They don't like to interfere, it really screws with the whole 'free will' thing. But in this case, the need was so urgent, they thought it was worth it. No matter what the cost. So here I am."

"Just spill. Then go crawl back under your rock." Buffy was beginning to come back to life. Anger was replacing the emptiness and lethargy within her. Goddamn Whistler. He only seemed to show up in times of disaster, of personal tragedy. The last time was when she sent Angel to hell, her mother had kicked her out, she was wanted for murder, and her friends were all injured through her negligence. This time, everyone was dead. Next time, the world would probably be ending. Blinking back tears, she forced herself to listen to the demon.

"The world is facing a danger in the near future different than anything it has faced in millenia. About five millenia in fact. An artifact has been uncovered, one that should have stayed hidden. And it is in the control of the United States military. The Air Force to be exact. The artifact is called the Chappa'ai or Stargate if you prefer. It is a device that allows for travel between worlds. It was created by an ancient race that has since ascended. They were of an age with the Powers and have worked together before-"

Buffy interrupted him. "What does that have to do with the here and now? Get to the point."

"They figured out how to use it four years ago, and have been cautiously exploring the galaxy via the Stargate ever since. Not cautiously enough, unfortunately. They've encountered another race that also has been using the gate. That race is the Goa'uld, a parasitic race that possesses and uses humans. The same race that was driven from the Earth five thousand years ago by another slayer and her allies. They use advanced technology, hundreds, if not thouands, of years ahead of Earth's. They are a dangerous foe and will win a direct confrontation. And there are worse things out there. Much worse. That's why the Powers sent me. They want you there. To help prevent these disasters from happening." Whistler wasn't sure how well Buffy was receiving the news. She didn't appear particularly impressed, but then again, she hadn't torn out his ribcage to wear as a hat either.

"So the Powers want to Glenda me to wherever this gate thingamajig is, so that I can save the world again? Is that the jist?"

"Not exactly. The Powers don't interfere. Even my coming here to give you this information was mulled over for two weeks before they decided. They would never use mystical means to interfere. So THEY won't be sending you anywhere." Whistler was hedging. He really was not looking forward to explaining the next part. The Slayer was not gong to be happy.

"So, if they don't want to magically send me to where this gate thingy is, how do they expect me to get there? Drive Mom's jeep?" Buffy tried to keep the bitterness from her tone. But it was just like the Powers to want her to do something, while having no intentions of helping.

"No. That wouldn't work anyway. You can't drive to a top-secret base near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Besides, the events that are the most problematic are not coming for nearly five years by the most recent estimates. To be in a position to help, you must start now. You must start at the bottom." Whistler watched Buffy's eyes widening in horror as she began to comprehend what he was saying. He continued, "You must enter the military. You must excel at being a soldier. You must be promoted to where you will be needed. Only then will you be able to stave off the coming disaster."

"You... you... you..." Buffy stammered. She felt like she had just been sucker punched. The Powers wanted her to be all G.I. Jane? That was so not her. She was Dolce & Gabbana, not olive drab fatigues.

"It is the only solution. You are no longer needed here on the Hellmouth. The Council believes you dead. Another slayer and watcher are coming. You have no ties here any longer."

"You expect me to just join the Army? I'm sooo not the Private Benjamin type. Buffy and the military are non-mixy things. Like oil and water. Or Posh and Ginger Spice." Buffy's frantic argument picked up steam. She was so not doing the whole basic training montage, ala Rocky.

"Not the Army. The Air Force. And not join directly. Instead, enter the Air Force Academy. After graduation, you will be a commissioned officer. With your abilities, you should shine enough to have your pick of assignments, including with the Stargate, which is located not far from the academy, in Cheyenne Mountain. The Powers can probably give that a small nudge, if necessary. However, you will have to do the work to make it happen." Whistler's voice was calm and persuasive. He really hoped Buffy accepted. The alternative was disastrous and would only push her further away from them.

"I didn't apply to the Air Force Academy. Even I know that you can't just waltz in at the last minute. There are no more open slots this late. And you need the sponsorship of a congress-type person. Unless the Powers were lying about interfering, I don't see how I can get in." Buffy felt her argument trumped Whistler's. Thank God. She didn't really want to stay in Sunnydale. Too many memories. But heading to wherever the Air Force Academy was located was not in her plans either.

"You can get in late. You scored a 1430 on your SAT's. You survived an incredible tragedy. Your local senator will sponsor you because of what happened here in Sunnydale. At worst, you might need to take a psych evaluation to make sure you weren't negatively affected. And if someone needs a small nudge, we can do that. But only a small one. Free will, remember? We did cheat in one way." Whistler pulled several pages seemingly from mid-air. He handed them to Buffy. "These are letters of recommendation from the Mayor, Principal Snyder, and the Chief of Police. They all commend you for your civic-mindedness. They also mention how you plan to take a year off to spend working in the Peace Corps before applying to the Air Force Academy. All you have to tell the Academy is that you changed your mind after the disaster. That you no longer want to put off doing what you'll spend the rest of your life at. Life is too short." Whistler studied Buffy's face intently. She didn't appear convinced. He did not want to pull out the big guns. That would not be good.

"Whistler, why me? Why can't I just rest? Why won't they leave me alone?" Buffy's desperate plea was heartfelt. She did not want to spend the next several years of her life on some kind of harebrained mission to save the world.

"You want to know the real reason?" Whistler asked, making eye contact.

"Repeat much? Duh! Of course I want to know." Buffy stared, wondering how he thought he could convince her.

"Because there isn't anyone else. Angel was going to be a champion, but now he's dead. Willow was going to be an immensely powerful witch, but now she's dead. Xander, Cordelia, Giles, Oz... all of them had their roles to play, which now will not happen. Everything has changed. Before the explosion, you would have stayed here and gone to college. People you met while in college would have eventually joined up with the group around the Stargate, providing you with an in. Now, that won't happen. None of the things that need to, will happen. And..." Whistler hesitated, not wanting to say it. Too bad he knew she wouldn't let him get away with withholding anything.

"And what? Don't hold back on my account."

"And if you stay here, you'll be dead within four months. The seers are not certain exactly what happens, but all of them agree that you're killed by a vampire. And the world ends less than five years later. C'mon kid, we need you to do this. The world needs you to do this."

Buffy felt her gorge rise. Another prediction of her death. This time not written in an ancient text, but instead stated by seers. Either way, she was dead. She looked bitterly at Whistler. Buffy would rather have not known. Either way, stay or go. Now she would never know if she made the decision because it was the right thing to do, or if it was because she was afraid. Because she was afraid. Not of death, but of living. She was more afraid of joining the Air Force and taking on the challenges there, than of dying in four months time. She was tired and the peace offered by an early death was not be taken lightly. The hardest thing in the world was to live in it. She wasn't sure she could. Just as she wasn't sure if she could allow the world to end because of her weakness. So be it.

"All right, Whistler, I'll do it. I'll be their puppet. But first, I want something."

"What's that?" Whistler asked nervously.

"Bring them back. Please. I'll go into the Air Force. I'll do whatever you want. But, please, bring them back." Buffy didn't care that she was begging. Her self-respect was worth even the chance of regaining her family. She would do anything to get that.

"Buffy, please don't ask that. You don't know the consequences of what you're asking. The price."

Buffy met his eyes. "I would do anything to bring them back. I'll pay any price."

Whistler met her eyes. Gravely he began, "The Powers anticipated you asking for something like this. They can't do something like that, Buffy. They can't change history or it would destroy causality. But they understand your sacrifice. It has power. Balancing the two, allows them to make one change. But it can't affect everyone. Or even most of those who died. Bringing them back would change history too significantly. Only someone who would not affect the world, who would not truly change things to come, can be saved. Someone not mystical or tied to the supernatural. Of those who died, you have the choice of your father or mother. Only the two of them. But you have to choose. Only you. So, would you rather your father lived that day or your mother?"

Buffy's head spun. None of her friends would survive. No Xander, Willow, or Giles. No Angel. Only her mom or dad. And she had to choose between them. Even a week before graduation, the choice would have been easy. She hadn't seen or spoken to her dad since junior year. But he had come back. Back for her graduation. Back to make things right. He obviously cared after all. Buffy had always been closer to him growing up. "Buffy was Daddy's little girl," everyone would say. And she had loved it. But since the divorce, Buffy and her mother's relationship had waxed and her and her father's had waned. Minus the whole 'throwing her outta the house' thing, their relationship had progressed steadily. Especially this past year. Seeing her daughter, the hero, in action, had changed Joyce's perception of her. They'd spoken long and hard about the choices Buffy had to make, the sacrifices. Joyce had come away from those discussions with a far greater understanding of who her daughter was. She had been immensely proud of her. So proud, that she wouldn't leave town for graduation. Joyce couldn't run away while Buffy and the others risked their lives.

To choose hurt more than Buffy had ever imagined, but choose she did. "Bring back Mom. I choose her." Her face wore an expression of pain, like a glaze over her features, aging her. Being the Slayer had always been about hard choices. But none had ever been harder.

With an expression of sympathy, almost pity, on his face, Whistler seemed to listen to the wind. "It's done. In a moment, you won't remember the last part of this conversation, except that you agreed to do as we requested. They will save you the pain of remembering having to choose. Good luck, Slayer." With that, he walked out the door.

Buffy looked around. Where was her mother? Whistler had promised. Shouting, "Mom! Mom, are you here?" she raced through the house.

Checking the dining room, kitchen, and den, she was about to run upstairs when her mom appeared at the stop of the stairs. Clad in a bathrobe with a towel secured around wet hair, she looked like she just come out of the shower. "Buffy, what's wrong?"

Running up the stairs two-at-a-time, Buffy reached her mom and pulled her into a huge hug. Not understanding, Joyce hugged her back until her ribs started to creak. "Buffy, it's getting hard to breathe." Her daughter didn't let her go, but squeezed her less forcibly. Joyce freed a hand, and began to stroke her hair. "What's wrong, baby?"

"Thank god you're here. Thank God you're alive." Buffy's voice was sad and broken, her hurt so obvious.

"Sshhh, baby. I'm here. I'm here. Don't worry, baby. I'm here." Joyce's soft murmurs in her hair helped calm Buffy. Joyce didn't know why Buffy appeared so upset. She hadn't been like this since that terrible night.

"I don't know what I was thinking. I just had a bad feeling. The house felt so empty. Just like it did when I got back here after the explosion. I couldn't find you that night and thought you'd gone after all. When you finally walked in, I'd never been so happy to see someone. I love you so much, Mom." Buffy appeared confused to Joyce. Her baby had been so down the last two weeks. Sometimes Joyce wished she could wave a wand and make everything better.

Joyce hurt too. Xander and Willow had almost felt like her own children. Losing them hurt so badly. But she was still the mom, and would always be there to comfort her daughter. "You're not alone. I'm with you. I didn't go to your graduation after all, just as you wanted." Looking into her daughter's eyes, Joyce continued, "I will always be there for you. Together, we'll get past this. Someday, we'll be able to talk about them without it hurting so much." Even as she reassured her daughter, Joyce's thoughts went back to that terrible day.

Hearing the reports on the television, she had rushed out. How she had avoided having an accident, Joyce didn't have a clue. But somehow she had reached the site of the explosion. The flames had been dying by that time, smothered under the deluges of water applied by the numerous firetrucks at the scene. She had run around frantically, looking for her daughter. She had questioned everyone at the scene, all of whom had tremendous sympathy, but no real information. Joyce had been devastated when one of the EMTs had told her that identification was going to be almost impossible since most of the bodies had been too badly damaged by the explosion.

Spotting another set of EMTs wheeling a covered form away from the scene, she had raced up to it. Not asking any questions, Joyce had stripped away the covering from the body, exposing the still face of Mr. Giles. The top of his head was missing, leaking blood and thicker, more viscous things. Joyce had dropped to her knees and vomited, until nothing remained in her stomach. A female EMT had helped her to her feet, draping a blanket around her shoulders, her expression bleak. The young woman reflected the helplessness all of the personnel at the scene felt. With no one alive to help, they had no purpose, merely acting as tourists in a macabre world. Joyce just didn't have room for sympathy for the girl, her focus on finding Buffy taking up her entire span of attention.

Finally, she had been persuaded to go home. Walking up to the front door, she found it unlocked. Racing inside, she discovered the still form of her daughter laying on the stairs, still sobbing her her heart out. Joyce had wrapped her arms around Buffy, ignoring the accumulation of ash and blood that covered her. Together, they had mourned the loss of the others. They had comforted one another. In that moment, they'd grown closer than ever before. Eventually, Joyce had persuaded Buffy to get cleaned up, then had dressed her various wounds. Later, they had fallen asleep in Joyce's bed, holding one another.

The next two weeks had been difficult. Joyce had helped where she could. Sheila and Ira Rosenberg had been devastated at the loss of their daughter. Despite treating her with a kind of benign neglect while alive, they had both loved Willow very much. They had spent a great deal of time hugging and touching Buffy, as if being with her made them somehow closer to Willow. Xander's parents had barely even spoken to either of them at his funeral. His father had been drunk, tears running down his face. His mom had been silent, face empty of anything but grief. The only time she'd approached anything resembling life was when she sent an accusing stare at Buffy as they lowered Xander's casket into the ground. Joyce had just been happy her daughter was too wrapped in her grief to see the look. It was obvious Xander's mother blamed Buffy, at least somewhat, for his death.

Once the funerals had been over with, things had settled into normality. Joyce running the gallery. Buffy patrolling. Joyce had difficulty letting her perform her first patrol. She'd struggled with her worry about her daughter. Eventually, she stepped back and allowed Buffy her 'space'. It wasn't just Buffy who needed space. Joyce had her own demons from that night beyond even the ones created by her worry over Buffy. She felt a tremendous amount of guilt over not being able to stop Hank from attending Buffy's graduation. Joyce had known for weeks about Hank's intentions of attending. He had hoped it would be a first step to reuniting with his daughter. When Buffy had come to Joyce a couple of days before graduation and explained to her that Joyce couldn't attend her graduation and why, Joyce had fully intended to notify Hank. But she hadn't been able to reach him.

Joyce had chalked it up to Hank planning to miss yet another event in Buffy's life. Then she'd gotten the message on her home answering machine that Hank was in town and he would see her at Buffy's graduation. Joyce had cursed fate because Hank had for the first time regained some sense of propriety. He apparently hadn't stopped by her house in an effort not to 'intrude.' And it had killed him. Joyce had desperately wanted to race to Buffy's graduation and pull him away, but remembering her promise, hadn't. Despite Hank's death, it was just as well. If Joyce had gone, she would have died too, leaving Buffy alone. It was a horrible thought. Yet, Joyce still felt guilty for surviving while Hank hadn't. Maybe if she had somehow found a way to contact Hank... Her reminiscing was interrupted.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I have some bad news." Buffy wore a bleak expression as she recounted the events at the care facility. While Faith had not been Joyce's favorite person, it was hard to hear of the death of yet another child. Then Buffy hit her with the capper: Whistler's visit and message.

"Are you certain, Buffy, that you have to do this? I know I wanted you to go off to school, but the Air Force? That wasn't exactly what I had in mind." Joyce was worried about Buffy going into yet another dangerous field.

"It's what I have to do. I want you and everyone else to be safe. And the not dying in four months would be of the good as well. If I have to dress up as Private Benjamin to accomplish said saving, then I'll make that fashion sacrifice." Buffy appeared to be trying to convince herself as well as Joyce.

"And the job, this 'stargate'? Where's it located?"

"Umm, around the same place as the Air Force Academy. Colorado Springs, Colorado. At least that's what Whistler said."

Joyce briefly contemplated the situation. There was no way she was letting her daughter go off alone and risk her life, with, at most, infrequent visits. While the gallery was doing great, it was just a business. If she sold both, she would have more than enough money to start over in Colorado Springs. And with Sunnydale not holding much allure these days, it seemed like the best choice.

"Buffy, sit down. I have some news for you as well."


	4. Chapter Four—BCT (Basic Cadet Training)

**Chapter Four—BCT (Basic Cadet Training)**

_August 8, 1999_

_Dear Mom,_

_Well, I'm almost done with BCT (That's Basic Cadet Training to you). It has been... interesting. I think I did pretty well. It was a bit of a shock. I especially missed being able to talk to you. But no phone calls until Parents' Weekend this fall. Them's the rules. That's why the endless stream of letters. If I got muscle cramps, I would have crampy fingers by now. _

_I told you about having to get my hair cut even shorter, didn't I? It's really been easy to take care of, but I'm looking forward to life after BCT when I can grow it out a little longer. It brings back too many Dorothy Hamill memories. Shudder. I asked my Cadet Leader how long I could let it get and she told me shoulder length. That's about as long as I wore it sophomore year in high school. For now, I try to avoid mirrors, since I also can't wear makeup either. I still get looks from the guys here, but I think thats mostly because I'm the girliest girl here. And the shortest. Every one of my fellow female cadets are taller than me. So not fair. Where are those tall Summers genes?_

_Wearing a uniform has been really strange. I miss my clothes. I dreamed about shoes last night. Jimmy Choo's with that cute strappy look. I just sighed by the way. I think that if I can find the time, I'm going to see about fitting my uniform a little more. XXXXXXXXXX Sorry about the smear, but I just thought about what Xander would say about me being in uniform. It was entirely inappropriate and thoroughly Xander. I miss him so much. I miss them all. XXXXXXXXXX Okay, I'm better now. Today's just one of those 'hard' days. _

_The hardest thing to get used to, other than the hair and uniforms, has been the lack of free time. It was getting worse and worse. They keep us busy from the time we get up until we go to bed. I finally got used to going to bed at 10:30 at night. I told you how hard that was. But now I get up way earlier than anyone else. It works since I don't really need that much sleep. Years of patrol and all. I have been getting up at 2:30 am for the last four days. That gives me around three hours of free time! I can do my nails, or anything else that doesn't make noise. I even reread _Contrails_, to make sure I didn't make any silly mistakes about the Academy. Which is definitely of the good. There's no rule against being up so early, but I think my roommate narked me out. My Squad Leader had a talk with me about not sleeping. Apparently she got the 411 about what happened at graduation and was keeping an eye on me. I told her I was totally okay, but I'm not sure I convinced her. She kept asking me if I was having nightmares. I told her I don't dream. She didn't ask again, but she thinks I'm hiding something. Sometimes, I really wish I wasn't. I do dream. They're mostly happy. But sometimes, I dream about THAT night. I guess those dreams qualify as nightmares. I know I woke my roommate up a few times. Okay, enough mopey Buffy. _

_I finally got used to everyone running around like energizer bunnies beginning at 5:30 am. It was about the same time as I started to get my three hours of alone time. By the way, my room has been perfect! Me and my roomie so rock! Another girl in the next room missed a corner on her bed and forgot to put up some clothes. She had to do a lot of push ups to make up for it. I'm actually kinda glad you made me make my bed for so long. No 'push up Buffy' so far. Not that it would be hard, just boring._

_The twenty-five minutes for eating breakfast and lunch has taken some getting used to. Remember how I told you the food is really good? Well turns out it was not a fluke. So far, everything's tasted great. I'm crossing my fingers right now. Superstitious, I know. I gotta say though, that nothing prepares you for watching a couple of hundred people eating at warp speed. It is a gruesome sight, not to mention all of the lipsmacking that goes on. Totally surround sound. Especially breakfast. Because of how tough each day is, everyone's starving first thing in the morning. I actually inhaled three plates of eggs yesterday morning. I think if I had gone any faster, I would have eaten the fork, too. _

_The calisthenics, marching, and other military stuff, finished off last week. It was boring, although I did learn to salute! Military training supposedly gets a lot more interesting later, when it's about tactics and leadership and stuff. Halfway through our third week, everyone took the PFT and AFT. Sorry, that's the Physical Fitness Test and the Aerobic Fitness Test. I got laughed at when I asked if we got to listen to music when we did aerobics. By the way, I'm pouting right now. Turns out it means we had to run. A whopping mile and a half. I ended up doing it in seven and a half minutes, which was faster than all but one of the guys. To me it felt like I was jogging. At least it stopped all of the blonde jokes I was getting. But it started causing me to get weird looks, so I decided to play it cool on the rest of the tests. So I did just a few more push ups and sit ups than the top score required. At least I made the instructors happy. They told me if I kept doing this I would belong to something called the the '1000 Club'. Captain Merryville kept saying I should join the Women's Cross Country Team. I might do that, although there are so many other activities I could do instead, if I want. They have unarmed combat teams. They even have cheerleading as a sport! And I can try out for the team in the spring. How cool is that? _

_The last few days, we have been doing phase two of BCT. I thought I was going to HATE doing the whole camping outdoor thing. I am sooo not a country girl. Turns out, I was wrong. Please don't tell anyone, but I really really liked it. It was a lot of fun. We marched out here in formation. As we got further away from campus and the it started to look like wilderness, I was freaking out inside. XXXXXXXXX Sorry, more smears. Willow would have laughed at 'big city Buffy' doing the whole 'Jeremiah Johnson' thing. My nose is running so I'm going to go blow it. Okay, back now. _

_I actually got to build the camp. I helped put up our tent, and made a firepit. I also got to dig a latrine. That was seriously gross. More in thinking about what would go in it rather than actually doing it. But not as gross as filling one in. No, not me. One of the guys said something a little inappropriate and got punishment detail. Yep, a blonde joke about yours truly. So, he got a week's worth of filling in latrines. We are considering nicknaming him 'Stinky'. How glad I am that it's not me. That reminds me, I forgot to tell you earlier. I got a nickname. Everyone calls me 'Cali'. It's short for California, but then I suppose that's obvious. _

_I wish I could tell you in person about this. I really miss you. Otherwise, I am starting to be happy. I'm not sure why. I haven't forgotten them. I won't ever do that. Like you told me, as long as there's someone alive to remember them, they're not really gone. I remember. I will always remember. Maybe time does heal all wounds. It's something to think about, huh?_

_XXX OOO_

_Buffy Summers_

_Fourth-Class Cadet_

_United States Air Force Academy_

_Colorado Springs, CO_


	5. Chapter Five—First Year: The Beginning

**Chapter Five—First Year: The Beginning **

Well, first day of school. Buffy looked over the bright beautiful grounds of the Air Force Academy. From the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel Building, one of the loveliest on any campus, to Arnold Hall, it was an amazing sight. She was still uncertain how she'd managed to get there. But Whistler had been right. Her senator, Robert Kinsey, had been more than willing to recommend her. He'd actually even given her his full sponsorship. And since he was chairman of the Defense Appropriations Sub-Committee, he had been able to pull strings to get Buffy one of the handful of slots that were kept as back-ups. The first few weeks had gone by in a blur of tests, followed by five weeks in BCT. Buffy had passed with flying colors, although she was constantly worried about not saluting or forgetting to call someone 'sir'. Intellectually, Buffy knew she wouldn't get tossed out on her ear for forgetting once or twice. Her worries probably had something to do with the feeling of not belonging.

Buffy still remembered the look on the face of her first interviewer, a captain, who wore pilot's wings. He'd taken one look at her and only saw her petite size, blonde hair, and attractive appearance. Buffy didn't think he'd ever quite understood why someone who looked like her would want to serve her country. Her next interviewer had been completely different. Near retirement, he had looked past Buffy's slender, almost fragile appearance, and seen more of the inner person. She'd apparently impressed him. She'd definitely impressed the noncom who conducted the fitness tests, conducted during one of her visits earlier in the summer. Buffy had done her qualifying run at what felt slow to her, but was probably a five-minute-mile pace. She stayed just behind one guy, who pushed himself extra hard because of a girl pacing him. Buffy'd deliberately forced herself to slow her pace, allowing him to beat her.

Buffy probably could have finished the run in around half of the time she'd done it. But she didn't want to get identified as a freak, just a suitable candidate. None of the guys had been freaked out by her, but she'd gotten one or two odd looks as well as the usual check outs. All from the guys. The girls' looks had mostly been a mix of admiration and intimidation along with a couple of jealous looks as well. The other calisthenics had been easy and she'd breezed through them. Buffy had actually been surprised by just how easy it had been. She'd been expecting a drill sergeant barking orders and driving them until they dropped. Instead it had been about leadership, self-reliance, and teamwork. She especially like that aspect.

Reminiscing, Buffy contemplated the day her mom dropped her off at the Academy for BCT. It had been an emotional day. As Buffy gave her mom one final hug goodbye, she thought Joyce was going to break down. Somehow she'd kept it together, which had kept Buffy from joining her. After all, they wouldn't speak again until Parent's Weekend, taking place in the middle of the Fall semester. After one more goodbye, Buffy hefted her small bag, carrying it towards Vandenberg Hall. As a fourth-class cadet, she was only allowed the smallest amount of personal possessions. She saw other new cadets doing the same thing. After carrying it inside, she was given directions to her room, and a mark was made next to her name on a list. Once inside the room she would share with one roommate, Buffy grabbed one side of the room, carefully putting away her few things. She found the uniforms she ordered a couple of weeks earlier, already in her room. After trying on her uniform for the first time, she'd discovered that she looked pretty good in Air Force Blues or even Battle Greens. As long as they fit properly. And she had spent several fittings doing just that. So Buffy had been relatively satisfied with her appearance.

Buffy had met her roommate, Conchita Perez, who was from South Florida, a couple of hours later. "Call me Connie," the tall, dark-haired pale-skinned, Hispanic girl had said. Connie was tall, athletic, and looked every inch an Air Force recruit. Towering six inches over the petite Buffy, they looked like Mutt and Jeff standing together. The one girl, petite, blonde, green-eyed, while the other girl was tall, brunette, and dark-eyed. A marked contrast if ever there was one.

After Connie's breezy introduction, Buffy had done the same herself. "I'm Buffy. Buffy Summers." She still remembered what the other girl had said, although the sting had long faded.

Laughing, Connie had looked at her and said, "Seriously, what's your name really?" Her laughter had faded at Buffy's cool look. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. You're the first 'Buffy' I've ever met. Forgive me?" She'd grinned cheekily at Buffy.

Buffy had smiled back. "It's cool. I'm from California. We're home of the flower-child names."

Grabbing her arm, Connie had guided her out of the room. "Cali, you and I are going to be good friends." That was how Buffy had gotten her nickname. She had been 'Cali' to everyone at BCT, well except the instructors. That was also how she and Connie had become friends. After BCT, they were set to be roomies at least through the end of the Fall semester. For the Spring semester, they'd have to play it by ear.

Smiling, Buffy headed off to her first class. She had calculus, engineering, chemistry, and English this morning, in that order. Then she would fall in to march to lunch at Mitchell Hall. In the afternoon, she had computer science, military theory and PE. Then she would be off to participate in fencing and unarmed combat.

Hopefully, nothing would happen in any of her classes...

_Later that day..._

Okay, the poop had definitely hit the fan. Everything had gone great today, up until now. All of Buffy's classes had been understandable. Not easy, but not nearly as intimidating as she'd expected. Chemistry appeared to be the hardest, at least so far. Buffy had even enjoyed PE. She'd ended up taking racquetball this semester for her PE elective. Buffy had briefly toyed with the idea of joining the Track Team, but ultimately decided it would be unfair to compete with her advantages. That didn't stop her from cleaning up on the racquetball court. No one could match her speed. And the things she could do with the ball were, well, slayery. The only thing Buffy'd worried about was being too good. She didn't want someone to try to get her to join the Racquetball Team. So she'd deliberately been careful not to blow anyone out.

Buffy had decided to try out a couple of intramural activities. First, she joined the Fencing Club. That had turned out to be fun, although the fencing they practiced wouldn't actually allow you to defend yourself. Buffy had easily cleaned the clocks of the first several people she'd faced, earning the admiration of the instructor, Major Sherman. The Unarmed Combat Club had been her downfall.

When Buffy had arrived, she'd seen all of the tall, athletic people gathered for practice. At five feet, two inches tall, Buffy had been the shortest one there by at least five inches. That hadn't been a big deal since she was used to being the shortest girl around, especially since joining the Air Force. She'd gotten a few funny looks from the others when she joined the warm up. Nothing overt or hostile, but it had made a lump form in her throat. It hadn't helped when Captain Billings, the instructor, had pulled Buffy aside afterwards and asked her about her experience with martial arts. He'd apparently been worried when he'd seen her fragile appearance. It had taken a few minutes to assure him she wouldn't break. By the time she had, everyone was involved in some one on one sparring, leaving Buffy the odd man out.

Captain Billings had taken the place of her sparring partner. He had taken it very easy on her. At first. Buffy hadn't exactly enjoyed being treated like china and had let slip she was more skilled than her appearance suggested. Before she'd known what was happening, the sparring had sped up. As Buffy had blocked or countered every attack made by the captain, the expression of pleasure on his face had deepened. She hadn't been sure when everyone else had stopped sparring to watch them. But she'd become aware of the fact about ten minutes in. It hadn't been good for her concentration. Instead of completely pulling the kick she'd used as a counter-attack after she'd blocked Captain Billings, Buffy had hit him almost full speed, although thankfully not full strength, blowing right past the partial block he'd had in place. The resulting kick had struck him squarely in the chest and sent him flying ten feet through the air, right into three of the watching crowd, sending all four of them crashing to the ground.

"Oh my God!" Staring at the heap of bodies in utter horror, Buffy hoped she hadn't broken anybody. Quickly, Buffy rushed to the captain's side. "Captain Billings, sir, are you all right?" She took the resulting wheeze as assent and quickly checked the other cadets out. Each of the three scrambling up from the mat looked okay. Then it struck her. Earlier, Buffy had noted that everyone present had seemed taller than her. Now she realized looking around, that all of the other cadets there appeared to be older as well, obviously all first-class and second-class cadets. Then she overheard the whispered conversation behind her.

"Did you see that? I was surprised to see a smack show up to an advanced class. Now I can see why she's here. Those were some sweet moves." The guy's voice was full of admiration, which was good. The bad was that Buffy had hoped to be a bit more normal and fit in. Not even in school for one day, and I'm already slipping up, Buffy thought despondently.

"Cadet, ah, Summers." Buffy looked down when she heard the wheezing voice. Uh oh, she thought, the captain doesn't look too happy. Struggling to sit up, Captain Billings finally made it. He appeared to be getting his wind back.

"Cadet Summers, that was an excellent demonstration of skill. I think you got a little carried away at the end, but that was as much my fault as yours. I don't often get cadets of your skill level even here in the advanced class and got a little carried away with the sparring. Tell me, where did you study? What dojo?" Tom Billings was still feeling the effects of the kick Cadet Summers had landed. It had been stunningly powerful, especially coming from his petite opponent. When Tom had first seen the young woman come in, he'd intercepted her, trying to find out why she was attending the advanced class of the Unarmed Combat Club. He'd figured she had come to the wrong class by mistake. When his subtle questions had fallen on deaf ears, Tom had been glad to see everyone paired off for sparring, leaving the fourth-class to him. The last thing he'd wanted was for the girl to get injured. He figured he could let her down gently after a short spar, and direct her to the beginner class, meeting later that day.

As they started to spar, Cadet Summers' technique had more than surprised him. She was amazing. Probably at least a black belt. He had smiled in pleasure as the pace of their bout had continued to increase, receiving an answering spark back from the green eyes of his opponent. He'd been aware of the other cadets stopping to watch them, but had been enjoying the workout too much to stop and get them back to work. Tom still wasn't a hundred percent sure what had happened. He'd actually seen the moment Cadet Summers had noticed they had an audience. Her eyes had gotten enormous. Then her riposting kick had flashed right past his block and had impacted his chest. The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back trying to get his wind back. At least he didn't think he had any broken ribs.

Dojo? Buffy couldn't think of anything that sounded remotely feasible. What am I going to tell him, she wondered?

"Cadet Summers?"

"Uh, sir, it wasn't so much of a dojo as a friend. Err... family friend. A family friend taught me. A British family friend. Martial arts are kind of my calling, you might say." Smiling nervously, Buffy hoped the captain would believe her.

Tom frowned. He half-remembered an odd memo coming down from the mountain. Something about watching out for any 'weird' activities around the school and reporting them immediately. Then catching the deer-in-the-headlights look he was still getting, Tom inwardly chuckled. He somehow doubted that Cadet Summers was what they were talking about. She was so obviously horrified about knocking an instructor down, that he felt the need to reassure her that everything was okay. With a warm smile, he proceeded to do so. "Cadet Summers, I didn't mean to grill you. Your family friend must have been quite skilled to be such an excellent teacher. Now, I want you to show me that move again. I think it will come in handy when we go up against the best from the other services in our annual grudge match. It's for inter-service bragging rights. I'm sure you'll be happy to join the team. Hopefully, we'll be able to fit you into a weight class." He waited for her dazed nod. Tom paused a moment, noticing that everyone was still watching them rather than working out. "All right, Cadets, back to sparring. We've got a long way to go and I know no one here wants to be humiliated by the jarheads." Turning his attention back to Cadet Summers, he saw the panicky look in her eyes. "Don't worry, Cadet, you'll do fine. We'll make you into a fine representative for our beloved Air Force in no time. Now follow me."

Head spinning, Buffy followed the captain across the mat. What had she gotten herself into? Joining the Unarmed Combat Team, even the unofficial one, was not on Buffy's agenda. Now she was picked to take on the best martial artists from the other services, even if it was for an 'unofficial' set of matches. I am so screwed, she thought. And I agreed to it, essentially volunteering. Buffy tried to remember what Xander had said about volunteers in the military, taken from his soldier memories. She couldn't pull it up. Whatever it had been, it hadn't been good. Dodging a spinning back kick thrown her way at full speed, Buffy realized Captain Billings was no longer even trying to go easy on her. How was she going to get out of this one?


	6. Chapter Six—Buffy The Trainer

**Chapter Six—First Year: Buffy The Trainer**

With a grin, Buffy corrected the form of First-Class Cadet Randolph 'Gator' Pierson. She acknowledged his quick "Thanks, Cali" with a thumbs up. Buffy hadn't expected to end up helping Captain Billings teach the Advanced Unarmed Combat Class of the Unarmed Combat Club. But here it was only two weeks into the term and that was exactly what she was doing. After only a couple of days, it had become obvious to everyone involved that Buffy was quite a bit more skilled than anyone else attending the Advanced Unarmed Combat Class, including the instructor. She had handled anything that anyone had thrown at her effortlessly. A little too effortlessly she suspected. But instead of becoming suspicious, the captain had pulled her aside on her third day with an offer. He had asked her to put her tremendous skills to use and help him teach the class. She had been tremendously flattered, but had raised one problem with him. Buffy could still remember how their conversation had gone.

"_Sir, I would love to! But..." _

_Captain Billings had raised his eyebrows at that and asked, "What's the problem, Cadet Summers?"_

"_Well, umm, sir, I..." Buffy hadn't known exactly what to say._

"_Go ahead and spit out, Cadet."_

"_I'm only a fourth-class, sir. I don't think I can tell first-class and second-class cadets what to do." Buffy had blurted out her answer._

_The captain had hesitated, obviously thinking about what she'd said, before answering, "Cadet Summers, I know what class you are. So does everyone here. I wouldn't have asked for your help if I thought it was going to be a problem. Everyone is here in order to improve. You can help them improve. So no one here will mind you doing whatever is necessary to accomplish that. It's all about teamwork, Cadet. Each of them has tremendous skill and drive just as you do. Over the next few years, they will teach you a great deal in the areas of their expertise. Just as you can teach them a great deal about martial arts. That's what teamwork is all about. Complementariness. You can do this."_

Just like that, Buffy had become the captain's number two. And true to his word, she'd only run into one problem so far. Second-Class Cadet Roy Williams had been extremely argumentative when she'd tried to correct him over one of his kicks. Buffy had expected help from Captain Billings, but he had been elsewhere, working with another cadet. Somehow, she thought he was aware of the conversation happening between her and Williams, but he hadn't let on. So he obviously expected her to handle it. So Buffy did. She'd smiled sweetly at Williams, then asked him if he would use the move on her. From his hesitation, she had known that he was aware of the gap in their skill levels. But he had gone ahead and done it. Buffy had effortlessly blocked the kick. She had asked him to do it again. Again, she'd blocked the kick. Finally, she asked him to block _her_ kick. She'd taken it easy, but he still couldn't block it. His stubborn look had faded to a thoughtful one. When Buffy had asked him if he saw the difference, he'd indicated that he did. Buffy had then asked him to demonstrate the kick again. That time, he'd done it perfectly. Of course, Buffy had still blocked it, but had jokingly added that anyone with less skill would be nursing a seriously bruised chest, pleasing Roy immensely. After Roy, everyone else had been eager for pointers.

Now Buffy was thinking about asking Captain Billings if he would mind if she changed the pre-workout warm up and post-workout warm down to Tai Chi. Buffy had learned the art from Angel back in high school. He'd been incredibly good at it and had taught Buffy well. She had practiced it ever since. Tai Chi was tremendously effective in building fine motor control and body-awareness, something that every one of the cadets here needed.

"Sir, may I speak with you?" Buffy approached Captain Billings at the end of class.

"Certainly, Cadet Summers." He led her to a table they used for team meetings. "Now what can I do for you?"

"I know I've just started with the helping, but I had an idea, sir."

Tom was extremely pleased. He'd already seen the growth in Cadet Summers since she began helping him teach. She'd become more confident and self-possessed. Tom felt Cadet Summers was a natural leader. It showed in everything she did. Whether it was the patience with which she helped correct the near endless issues her fellow cadets possessed, or whether it was coming up with a new idea to help them. She just needed nurturing to develop that leadership further. Tom had been interested enough to try to access her high school transcripts, only to discover that Buffy was from Sunnydale, the town that had suffered that tremendous tragedy last Spring. Her records had been lost in the event. It had left him unable to evaluate how Cadet Summers had spent her high school years, but it had given him some insight into what she'd overcome. It had also left him even more determined to help her develop her potential. "Please tell me your idea."

Buffy smiled and began to talk in an animated tone. "Well, I've been thinking about how to get the most bang for our buck from the class. We only get about two hours per day to practice. I know we can practice more in our spare time, but you _know_ that's not going to happen too often. So I was thinking that if we made the warm up and warm down more like a workout, we would totally be more efficient!"

Tom tried not to frown. While he was glad Cadet Summers had come to him with her idea, he wasn't too sure of the implementation. He foresaw injuries becoming a problem if that was all there was to her plan.

Buffy saw the look in the captain's eyes and continued quickly, "Oh, I'm sorry, ugh.. sir, I should have told you what I meant by working out. I mean use Tai Chi for the warm up and warm down. It's simple and is all about slow, controlled movements. You don't have to worry about injuries as long as you properly stretch, and Tai Chi even helps with that. Most important, it teaches tremendous body-awareness and fine motor control. It would really help everyone pull a Bruce Lee out there when competing."

"I think it is an interesting idea. However, I have absolutely no experience or training in Tai Chi. All of my experience is with Taekwondo and Shotokan. I wouldn't be able to teach this. As a matter-of-fact, I would be just as much a student as anyone here. Do you have a solution, Cadet Summers?"

Buffy was flummoxed. She had planned to offer to teach all of the cadets Tai Chi, but teach Captain Billings? Suppressing a nervous giggle, Buffy finally got out, "I would be happy to teach everyone, sir. I have enough experience to do a good job."

"Great, then why don't you take a few minutes before tomorrow's class, and come up with a quick training outline for me. Come in prepared to teach the class Tai Chi. I think we can devote one full class to learning enough to use it for our warm ups and cool downs. If it is as successful as you think, we may spread it to the beginner class as well."

Buffy was terrified. She had to come up with a training outline? How did she do that? And by tomorrow? She hoped she wasn't wearing her patented deer-in-the-headlight look as she considered how to go about fulfilling the captain's orders. Suddenly aware that Captain Billings was still waiting patiently for her answer, Buffy gulped and said, "Yes, sir. I will have it by class tomorrow."

"Cadet Summers."

"Sir?"

"Don't worry. I know you'll do a great job with this project. Just as you've done a great job helping me train. Just put in the effort and you will succeed at anything you try. Now hurry up and get cleaned up or you'll miss dinner. I'm sure you're hungry."

"Yes, sir!" Buffy hurried off to do just that. She wondered if she could ask Cadet Williams the proper format for an outline for training. Since he was a second-class, he'd probably done a million of these things. Now that would be complementariness, she thought. Not to mention Williams had the cutest tush Buffy had seen yet at the Academy...

_Three weeks later..._

Buffy faced her opponent, aware of just how careful she was going to need to be in order to win this match without being outed as the Slayer. She handily won all of the matches she'd been placed in, easily beating women much larger than her, to the great delight of her teammates. As a team, they'd done just as well. The Air Force Team had been first overall, just ahead of the Marine Corps Team, with one match to go to determine the overall champion. Then during the match to determine the overall men's champion, the cadet representing the Marine Corps had struck Gator a blow that was a foul. Unfortunately, only Buffy with her faster-than-human reflexes had seen it. It had allowed the Marine Corps both the victory in the men's division, and the overall victory. As they were receiving the various trophies, Buffy had to listen to the boasting of Cadet Joe Wilson as he regaled everyone around them with tales of his prowess in beating the 'Chair Force.' Ultimately, Buffy had seen red and had made a snide remark that he might be the men's winner, but she could probably beat him. Unfortunately, her comment had occurred during a lull in the conversation going on around them and had been heard by everyone, including the myriad officers there from the various services. Buffy could still remember the furor she'd stirred up with her remark. The remark that led her to face Joe Wilson, the Marine Corps and men's overall services' unarmed combat champion, in a fight to determine the best fighter in all of the services...

_Thirty minutes earlier..._

"What? You think _you_ could beat _me_? What a joke. I'm twice your size, blondie. You wouldn't stand a chance. Just cause you took down some girls doesn't make you a fighter. Why I ought to..."

"Cadet Wilson, I think you owe Cadet Summers an apology." Buffy didn't recognize the tall, lean Air Force colonel who had interrupted the Marine Corps cadet's rant, but she was glad he had. Left to her own devices, she would have probably punched him if he had gone on much longer.

Joe gulped. It was one thing to chew out an Air Force smack, but a whole 'nother animal to say anything to Colonel Jack O'Neill, a near-legend in Special Ops. That the colonel was Air Force was irrelevant. His reputation for being in some serious black ops and coming through every time was known throughout the various services. Still, Colonel O'Neill or not, he wasn't going to back off what he'd said. Joe just needed to phrase it in a way that was more palatable. And he knew just what to say. "Sir, I do owe Cadet Summers an apology for the way I addressed her. Cadet Summers, I am truly sorry if I caused you any offense over what I said to you. I should not have used the term 'blondie' to address you. It was demeaning and disrespectful. Unfortunately, I have to stand by the spirit of my remarks. I would be able to defeat you in any kind of unarmed combat contest." Joe silently congratulated himself over his cleverness. He had apologized and ground the plebe's nose in his superiority at the same time.

Buffy was furious. She was trying to hold onto her temper, but it was extremely difficult. Finally, she managed to get out something without foul language attached. "Really? Prove it."

Joe was flummoxed. "Err, what?"

Buffy smiled up at him. "I said 'prove it.' Prove that you can beat me. Put up or shut up."

A nearby Marine colonel intervened. He said,"Hold on, cadets. There is no need for this. We do not have matches between male and female cadets for a reason. There is simply too much of a weight difference, making such a match unfair."

Buffy somehow kept from gritting her teeth. "Yes, sir. But I do not understand how Cadet Wilson can claim to be the overall champ when he hasn't beaten me. I know I can take him. So to me, I'm the overall champ."

"She's got you there, Colonel." Jack had been standing back watching the debate, amused by the chutzpah of the female fourth-class cadet. She had balls bigger than most of the guys he knew, which considering her size, was a pretty major achievement. Not that Jack thought for one second that she could beat the Marine Corps bruiser. He outweighed her more than two-to-one and had a ten-inch reach advantage. No, she would be no match for him, but it was fun to chime in on her behalf.

"Does she? Are you prepared to back up your remarks in the ring, Cadet?" The Marine colonel asked, looking over at Buffy.

Buffy quickly said, "Yes, sir!"

At the same time, Jack said, "No." He turned to the Marine colonel and said, "You know it would be a slaughter if my cadet fought yours." Jack ignored the offended 'Hey!' from 'his' cadet and continued, "Let's just stop this now and lower the testosterone level back to normal."

"Yes, sir, just as soon as the Doo... err, Cadet Summers over there admits that I can beat her." Joe was feeling stubborn. He'd been insulted by a fourth-class Air Force doolie and wasn't going to back off short of his own colonel telling him to do so. Which event did not appear to be going to happen, based on the mulish expression on Colonel McNamara's face.

"You couldn't beat me if my hands were tied behind my back!" Buffy shot back. She was aware of the displeased expression on Colonel O'Neill's face, but didn't care. She wasn't going to back down.

Colonel McNamara smiled. "Okay, then we'll be having one more match. We can get the Army ref for it so as to keep it impartial. Let's meet back here in fifteen." With that, he took Joe's arm and steered him off to discuss the match.

Jack was aghast. The girl was crazy. She was going to get killed by that oversize jarhead. And he would be the one responsible for it. Turning to the girl, he rasped out, "That was the stupidest thing I think I have witnessed since joining the Air Force. Cadet, what were you thinking?"

Buffy stared up at the colonel's face. Her colonel. A colonel in the Air Force. 'Focus, Buffy,' she told herself silently. Breathing in deeply, then breathing out, Buffy squared her shoulders and began to respond. She didn't notice Captain Billings come up behind her. "Sir, I witnessed the Marine Corps cadet win the match against First-Class Cadet Pierson with a foul blow. It looked legal, but it was not. It struck far too low."

Jack had felt that the blow had been a little low, but hadn't had that good an angle to see it, certainly not as good as the judges scoring the bouts. Impatiently, he gestured for the cadet to go on.

Buffy continued, "When I heard him boasting about being the best fighter, especially after the way he won, I could not keep silent."

"Fer cryin' out loud! You're going to get killed by that bruiser. He's twice your size! Now I have to go figure out a way to diffuse this. And you're going to help me. You started this, and you're going to help finish it."

"Sir..."

Tom had heard enough. Obviously Cali had stepped into it and committed a faux pas**, **but it seemed she had extreme provocation. It wouldn't do to not allow her to stand by her decision. Now he just had to convince a colonel of that. "Excuse me, sir?"

Jack turned. It was Captain Billings, the coach of the Air Force Academy Unarmed Combat Club, addressing him. He quite impressed Jack as a coach. Jack had been amazed by the improvement in the team he'd seen from last year. For a little while, he'd actually held out some hope they would win it all. And he had been extremely impressed by Cadet Summers. She'd torn through the ranks of the female representatives of the various services like a hot knife through butter, despite giving up an average of thirty pounds per opponent. But that still didn't qualify her to get in the ring with a male fighter of Joe Wilson's size, skill, and experience. From the stubborn look on Captain Billings' face, he obviously didn't agree. While Jack didn't want to hear it, he finally acknowledged the captain. "Yes, Captain. What is it?"

"Captain Thomas Billings, sir."

"Colonel Jack O'Neill."

"Colonel, did I understand that Cadet Summers challenged the male division winner, Cadet Wilson, to a match to determine the best fighter?"

"That about sums it up. You want to help me get this ironed out?"

A huge grin spread across Tom's face. He couldn't help it. "No, Colonel, I do not. I want to go get Cadet Summers ready to kick the crap out of that Marine puke."

Jack stared at the captain in astonishment. Okay, he thought, now he was dealing with two crazy people. Jack was just about to call the captain on it when he beat him to the punch.

Tom continued, "I know you probably think I'm crazy. But Cali... err, _Cadet Summers_, is extremely skilled in martial arts. She's one of the best I have ever met, let alone coached. The truth is, _she's_ been teaching me and the rest of the team better technique since joining us back in August. You probably noticed how much improvement there's been since last year. Cadet Summers is responsible for that improvement. She is a credit to the Air Force. If she thinks she can take Cadet Wilson, then I have no reason to doubt her in the slightest. I respectfully request you do not interfere with this match, but instead let it continue to its conclusion."

Jack was surprised at the confidence the captain had in his pupil. He turned and looked at Cadet Summers, who looked back with equal intensity, not the slightest bit intimidated by him. At least not too visibly, Jack thought in amusement, noticing a vein throbbing in the girl's throat. If she was that good... Jack came to a decision. "All right, Captain. I'm going to let this match proceed. Cadet Summers."

"Yes, sir!"

"You are not to hot dog out there or to do anything that would put yourself in physical jeopardy. If you find yourself being beat up, I want you to yield. Do I make myself clear?" This last was barked out in what Jack referred to as his 'command voice.' He'd had a lot of practice with it over the years. He was glad to see from the look on Cadet Summers' face, he still had it.

"Yes, sir! You are clear, sir!"

"Okay, then. Go give that jarhead hell." With that Jack hurried off, eager to grab a good seat ringside for the match up. He figured he could get at least twenty-to-one odds if he bet on his cadet. Maybe even thirty-to-one. After all, she was both a shrimp and a girl.


	7. Chapter Seven—First Year: The Fight!

**Chapter Seven—First Year: The Fight!**

"Okay, Cali. I want you to be careful. I _know_ how good you are, but you're still giving up something like one hundred and twenty pounds and ten inches of reach. At least. This young man is good. He's the best fighter the Marine Corps has produced this year and traditionally they do produce the best fighters." Tom smiled at Cali's frown. "I know you think Gator got robbed of the title. I don't know whether the blow was low or not. It doesn't matter. The truth is Gator would have lost the bout. That's why he wasn't upset about the hit. Now can you fight this jarhead without letting emotion get in the way?"

"Yes, Captain Billings."

"Good. He's going to try to use his weight against you. Remember his background is Shotokan and Judo. So expect a mix of holds and hard blows. There'll be some soft blows as well, but he'll use mostly hard, trying to go for a knockout. _Don't_ let him hit you. One punch and you're toast. If you do take a hit, stay down. You could really get hurt. Do you understand everything so far?"

Buffy knew she couldn't tell the captain that even if Cadet Wilson hit her twenty times, it wouldn't put her down. Sometimes, she really hated being 'secret identity' gal. "Yes, sir!"

"Okay, looks the that Marine colonel has rounded up an Army ref. Why don't you head on in."

Jack watched as the smack walked up the ring, easily sliding between two rope to enter. She was really was extraordinarily graceful, he thought. If she were fighting a guy anywhere near her own weight range, Jack would back her in a minute. But he'd seen the bruiser she was fighting. Six feet, three inches tall and two hundred and twenty-three pounds, Cadet Wilson was every inch a Marine. He looked tough and dangerous. Jack had put $500 on Buffy, getting thirty-to-one odds, mostly because he was the only one other than Captain Billings betting on her. He didn't really care about losing the money, Jack just didn't want the girl injured. He planned to talk to her more after the bout, assuming she survived intact. They were always looking for more good people in the SGC. While Jack didn't know if her academic background qualified her, he was sure he could put in a good word. He laughed at himself. I'm getting way head of myself, he thought. There was every chance Buffy was planning to become a doctor or an engineer, and wanted nothing to do with traveling to exotic worlds.

Jack winced as he watched Cadet Wilson go through a quick kata to loosen up. Damn, he thought, that kid has some seriously quick hands for someone his size. Hopefully, Cali, would at least make a showing of it before losing. At least he hoped so. Jack didn't care so much about the money as he did about the Air Force's pride and about his smack's safety.

Buffy looked across the ring at her competitor. His form wasn't bad, but he focused too much on the showy styles: the flashy strikes and big throws. His size, speed, and strength let him get away with it. In some ways, he was like a vampire. Even the good ones tended to show off way too much, their ego getting in the way. Buffy on the other hand, knew ten different martial arts. First with Merrick, and later with Giles she had distilled down the various forms until she had the most pure and effective moves available. That was one of the things that made her truly dangerous. Sure, she was strong and fast, but what made her an effective fighter was the inherent ability to learn moves in one or two repetitions, moves that might take another days or even weeks. Giles had once said she had acquired the equivalent of a lifetime's worth of martial arts training in the past three years. Couple that with the daily fights to the death, and she had more practical experience in unarmed hand to hand combat than any other human alive. The only thing she had to worry about in this fight was trying not to win too easily or injure the jarhead.

"You ready, smack?" Joe was feeling good. The girl still hadn't done anything to warm up, other than a little bit of some slow movements. It was probably Tai Chi, he guessed. He was going to have to take it easy on her. If he broke her, he might get in trouble. Colonel McNamara had cautioned him to go full speed, but half strength. Joe wasn't going to hit her as hard as he could, but he thought a mouthy bitch like her should be able to take at least a three quarters strength blow, especially if he kept it to the body. That probably wouldn't even break any of her ribs. Probably.

"Oh, I'm ready." Buffy smiled at the Marine, white teeth showing.

Oh boy, I'm really going to enjoy this, Joe thought.

The Army referee, a Captain Collins, gave them a brief caution about low blows and obeying any signals from him. After that, he gestured to the timekeeper who rang the bell.

Buffy bowed to Wilson, taking care not to take her eyes off of him. She saw him do the same thing. She slowly circled him, staying high on her toes. She reminded herself to stay slow. Then she had to remind herself not to get kicked in the head as Wilson leaped high in the air, driving a spinning back kick at her. Buffy dropped low, kicking out at his anchor leg, but just missing. Okay, that wasn't Shotokan or judo, she thought with amusement. Buffy recognized Taekwondo. So, Joe was holding out on us, she thought wryly. Okay, maybe he was the best fighter here, she thought, avoiding a series of fast, hard blows. At least of anyone not a Slayer.

Buffy blocked a spinning backhand, then launched her first strike, moving just a little too fast for Joe to block. It was a simple jab to the nose, without too much strength behind it, and while it didn't hurt much, it did succeed in its goal: pissing one Joe Wilson off.

Joe blinked in astonishment. That little bitch had just popped him one right in the nose, hard enough to make his eyes water. And after she'd blocked or avoided three combinations that would have put anyone else here down. He fought back anger. Down that road lay defeat, or so his first instructor had always said. Of course, he thought absently, driving forward to try to pin the small girl against the ropes using his body weight and failing as she effortlessly danced away, his first instructor had never had to fight this damn smack! On top of that, Joe was aware that she could have easily tagged him again in the back of the head if this had been a real fight, and not just a match, while he had yet to hit her. Damn, but she was quick.

Buffy was enjoying herself. She'd danced around for a bit, then popped the marine one, and then danced some more. She was going to hit him again on his next attack, a little harder. She'd decided that the best strategy in dealing with Joe was to make him beat himself. Get him mad enough, and he'd charge her, allowing her to use his mass and momentum against him. That wouldn't give away any hints as to her abilities. Buffy dodged a flurry of kicks and blows, staying just a half-second ahead of each blow, before answering with another quick strike to Joe's nose with her left hand. Just to make him madder, she slapped him across the face with her right, a deliberate taunt. Not that any of the onlookers would be able to tell. To them, it would look like he'd dodged the second hit, robbing it of most of its force.

Jack sat up straighter. Cadet Summers was doing much better than he'd expected. She had either blocked or avoided everything the jarhead had thrown her way. Jack had winced at a couple of the blocks she'd taken. No doubt her arms would be black and blue tomorrow. For now though, while she hadn't really scored a point, she hadn't lost one either. Jack still thought that the combo he'd just seen should have been scored, but the officials obviously didn't agree. As he watched, the tempo of the match continued to increase. Joe Wilson was firing off a dizzying number of blows, obviously trying to score just once. Jack had to admire his strategy. Obviously the young man knew that it would only take one solid hit to take Cadet Summers down. Jack was really starting to worry. Then he blinked. Summers had just scored a point!

Buffy blocked each of the blows Joe tossed her way. She'd managed to do so without giving away how outclassed her opponent was, but it had been difficult. Then in the middle of a dazzling series of pure strikes, Joe had left himself wide open. Buffy couldn't resist and took the opening, driving a spinning back kick squarely into his jaw and taking him off his feet.

"Two points, Air Force!"

Buffy grinned and did her happy dance. I just scored _two_ points, she thought, grinning. She watched as Joe Wilson slowly climbed to his feet. Uh oh, he looked murderously angry. Well, I did want to piss him off, she mused. And it looks like I got my wish.

Joe was furious. He'd just gotten tagged like a rookie by a damn female smack! Nothing he did was going to let him live this one down. Except one thing. If he put that damn girl in the hospital. Envisioning her spitting out a mouthful of those oh so white teeth, Joe lunged forward, planning to pin her in the corner and pound her.

Buffy saw him coming and stepped back, moving around the ring. He left himself so open, she had two or three opportunities to put him down. She'd decided to taunt him though, and gave him a smirk around her mouthpiece. His eyes narrowed further at this and he sped up. Buffy was just about to pop him one, when the foot she was planting slid right out from under her!

Joe saw his opponent slip on the mat where he'd fallen. He'd gambled that no smack was going to have enough experience in the ring to know to avoid a wet patch like the one he'd left. As she went down, Joe lunged forward, driving a hard elbow into the girl's ribs, backed by all his weight. He felt the air go out of her with a loud grunt. Joe moved as the referee pulled him back.

"Minus two points, Marines! Foul! Four points total, Air Force."

Joe didn't care at that point. Even if the girl got up, she wasn't going to be dancing anymore. He watched the ref bend over her, asking if she was all right. Joe watched her as she got to her feet, then moved forward ready to finish her off.

Jack clenched his fists. The little rat-bastard, he thought. The marine had deliberately fouled his girl as she lay on the mat after slipping in the sweat from his take down earlier. Jack had seen the force of the blow and wondered if she was going to be able to get up afterwards. He felt his own ribs twinge in sympathy. She'd probably be lucky to get out of it with just a couple of cracked ribs. Jack watched the referee bend over Summers, wondering if the he was going to stop the fight. Then Summers got up.

Buffy was pissed! She couldn't believe that damn Marine jarhead, ass-licking, shit-eating bastard! He'd hit her when she was down. Buffy could care less about the two extra points she'd gained. Joe Wilson was going down!

Smugly, Joe watched the girl slowly get up. She seemed to be favoring her right side. I wonder why, he mused, laughing inside. Oh right, I broke her damn ribs. Clenching his hands, he bounced on his toes as Summers came forward. Oh, so she's finally coming to me, he thought. If I'd known it was that easy, I'd have fouled her earlier.

Buffy slid forward, unaware of the hypnotic grace of her movements. Unaware of how the world had slowed around her. She'd forgotten her audience. She'd forgotten her earlier pledge to be careful. All she could see was the hateful face of the man who'd just hurt her. And she did hurt. She had at least a couple of cracked ribs. Joe had come down with all of his weight on the elbow strike he'd hit her with when she was extended out in a fall and vulnerable. If she'd been an normal person, she'd be spitting blood right now from a perforated lung. Luckily, Buffy thought, I'm not a normal person. As one Joe Wilson was about to find out.

Watching the blonde cross the mat towards him, Joe lost his cocky smile. There was something... deadly in the graceful way she stalked him. Nervously, he wondered where that thought had come from. Her eyes were cold and something almost... alien seemed to be peeking out at him. Dammit, he told himself, she's just a little girl. Go get her, Marine!

Buffy blocked the first of a series of spinning backfists as Joe took the fight to her. As the second came towards her head, she leaned down, feeling the breeze of the blow as it just missed over her head. As his body turned towards her, Buffy leaned forward and drove three hard blows right into Joe's midsection. Joe grunted, trying to wrap her up in a clinch to protect himself, all thought of hitting her gone. Buffy stepped back before he could grab her. Slow down, slow down, she chanted. Willing herself to slow, Buffy watched the world as it seemed to speed up again around her. Even as the referee stepped forward to declare her the winner, based upon her scoring her fifth point, Buffy leaped into the air, driving the heel of her foot around until it impacted Joe Wilson's jaw! The hapless marine flipped head over heels, landing in a heap, out cold.

Only then was she aware of the sound of applause. Buffy looked around in astonishment. All of her teammates were there, howling and applauding, Captain Billings right there with them. But they weren't the only ones. The match had drawn quite a crowd. There were dozens of officers, of all ranks and services, each of them applauding wildly. Hesitantly, Buffy raised her hands over her head. The applause sharpened. Without even a backward glance at her fallen opponent, Buffy stepped through the ropes and into the welcoming arms of her team.


	8. Chapter Eight—First Year: The Aftermath

**Chapter Eight—First Year: The Aftermath**

**Author's Note:** I recently changed Buffy's sponsor to Senator Kinsey. AllenPitt came up with that suggestion. Thanks very much. Also, Jurph from "another" board also helped with certain information about the Air Force.

Jack stared, stunned into silence. His cadet had just pounded the marine. Even having seen it, Jack couldn't credit it. Man, he thought, she could give Master Bra'tac some pointers. If Jack were a more suspicious person, he'd think she was a Goa'uld or something. However, just looking at the girl's face, full of astonished pleasure as her teammates pounded her on the back and high-fived her, put paid to that idea. Not everything's about the damn Goa'uld, Jack thought. Some things were about someone doing something amazing. Cadet Summers was extraordinarily skilled. But it was her speed that had won the fight. Except for the cheap shot, Wilson had never even hit her. Jack was vaguely aware of handfuls of cash being slapped into his hands as one disgruntled officer after another handed over his winnings. Even the most disgruntled though, had clapped and cheered as Cadet Summers had taken down her opponent. Jack stuffed money into his pockets until he couldn't fit any more. He straightened and folded some bills and managed to stuff them into his back pocket. Okay that was it. At least he hoped so. Truthfully, he couldn't even remember everyone with whom he'd bet. Which would have been a problem if he'd lost, Jack thought. Since I won, well, if someone missed paying me, I'm not going to be exactly destitute.

Since things were calming down ringside, he decided to head over and congratulate Cadet Summers. Halfway there, Jack ran into Colonel McNamara. "I'm sorry, Colonel O'Neill, but I'll have to owe you the money. I don't have that much cash on me."

And you didn't expect to lose, Jack thought, seeing the puckered, lemony face the other colonel wore. He looked extremely unhappy. Jack thought Cadet Wilson lucked out not having McNamara as his supervisor. Not that he wouldn't get enough grief from his friends and classmates. "That's okay, Colonel, mail it to me when you can. Please excuse me, I need to go over and tell my cadet what a great job she did." With that, Jack walked off.

With brooding eyes, Colonel McNamara watched the flyboy depart. He still didn't know how Wilson had lost the match, but he had his suspicions. In all of his years as a Marine, McNamara had never seen anyone move that fast. He'd had a ringside seat for the blurring punches the smack had hit Wilson with. McNamara wasn't sure anyone else had seen anything out of the ordinary. With the things he dealt with on a day-to-day basis, something like a hundred-pound blonde beating up on his two-hundred-and-twenty-pound marine made him extremely suspicious. He planned to grill the young man once he was completely awake. He had two days' leave left before he needed to get back to Sunnydale. Hopefully, he would get to the bottom of it. At worst, he'd have wasted his last two days of leave. At best, Walsh would have another lab subject. Straightening his hat, McNamara headed back to his hotel room

As Jack approached, one of the cadets spotted him and his eyes widened in surprise. He quickly called "Atten-hut!"

Jack stifled a grin as the handful of cadets putting up gear snapped to attention. Well, he thought with amusement, at least the Academy still teaches cadets the basics. His amusement vanished at the slight wince from Cadet Summers as she snapped to. She had taken a serious elbow-strike to the side while her defenses were down. Jack just hoped those ribs were just bruised. "At ease, cadets. Great job on coming in second. We'll get those Marines next year. Cadet Summers, I want to congratulate you as well on a great win. By the way, how are the ribs? You took a pretty hard hit out there and incidentally disobeyed a direct order."

Buffy froze, her face wearing a 'deer in the headlights' look. Then at Colonel O'Neill's inquiring look, she quickly responded, "Fine, sir! I didn't mean to disobey, sir. Just that jar... err, Marine, got my back up. I wasn't going to let him win that way, sir."

"Relax, Cadet. I was kidding. Even us colonels do that occasionally. Now let me see those ribs."

"Sir, Captain Billings..." Buffy stopped at the colonel's stern look. Rats, she thought. Self-consciously, Buffy opened her gi. She had a black sports bra on that covered more than a bikini top, but it was one thing for a fellow cadet to see her in it and another thing entirely for two superior officers now, to do so. Thank god I didn't wear a normal bra, she thought, although now I wish I'd worn a t-shirt under my gi. Buffy had decided to go ahead and err on the side of caution, despite doubting she'd have any reason to disrobe here.

Jack winced as he saw her ribs. That's gotta hurt, he thought, having experienced something similar on more than one occasion. The area where the hit had landed was already turning a nice shade of purple. Jack touched her ribs, very gently prodding the area. Cadet Summers winced slightly, but otherwise didn't let on that she was in any pain. Tough kid, Jack thought approvingly. Despite the appearance, Jack figured the ribs were only bruised. Otherwise, he doubted even someone as tough as Cadet Summers would have kept from flinching at his touch.

Standing barefoot next to him, Jack was again conscious of just how small Cadet Summers was. And skinny, he thought disapprovingly. "Okay, Cadet, zip it up. I don't think anything's broken unless you have an even higher tolerance for pain than I think you do. Still, when you get back to the Academy, I want you to get this looked at." He smiled at her mulish expression. "That's a direct order. Probably the same order that Captain Billings gave you." At her nod, he continued, "Now onto the other thing I wanted to discuss with you."

"What's that, sir?" Buffy was wondering what Colonel O'Neill wanted. In between advice on how best to handle Wilson, Captain Billings had given her a brief run-down on one Colonel Jack O'Neill. Apparently he'd been some kind of Special Ops spook back in the day. Now he worked in Cheyenne Mountain, coincidentally the place where Buffy had to go. Deep Space Radar Telemetry didn't sound like anything like the Stargate, but Buffy had to wonder why someone like Colonel O'Neill would be working on so dull a project. The colonel had impressed Buffy a great deal. He had a blunt, forceful manner that nevertheless gave hints of a wry sense of humor. He'd been every inch the professional officer when he'd come over to congratulate her. She'd seen the concern in his eyes as he'd probed her ribs carefully. That he was wrong about just how much pain Buffy could take wasn't his fault. She was the Slayer after all. Buffy had been surprised that he'd noticed her reaction at all when she'd come to attention. Good powers of observation, she guessed. I could do worse than to use him as a role-model, Buffy thought, remembering the surge of pride she'd felt when he'd congratulated her.

"Well, to feed you for one. Has the food quality gone down at the Academy, Cadet?"

Buffy almost choked. "No, sir!"

"Huh. Well, I want you to eat more of it. You're too thin. Now back to what I was going to tell you. I won quite a bit betting on you, so I wanted to say thank you. I'm taking you out to a celebratory dinner, Cadet. I'll get permission from the Academy's commandant for you to go off-base."

"Dinner, sir?"

"Yes, Cadet. Dinner. You know, where you use those little metal thingamajigs to eat with. That kind of dinner. I wanted to speak with you about your major and what career path you expect to follow once you graduate. So be prepared to discuss this and take notes. How does that sound?"

Buffy figured when a full colonel asks you how something sounds, you had better say just fine. So she said exactly that. "Fine, sir. Err... when?"

"You have Parents' Weekend coming up?" At Cadet Summers's nod, Jack concluded, "We'll call it the weekend after that. Saturday evening, assuming nothing comes up at my command. Actually, I won't need your commandant's permission then, will I."

"No, sir. That's Deep Space Radar Telemetry, sir?"

"That's me, Cadet."

"Umm, sir?"

"Yes, Cadet?"

"Do you have to change a lot of plans over DSRT, sir?"

"You never know when an egghead will fly off the handle and do something odd, Cadet. And I have a lot of eggheads reporting to me up there. Congratulations again, Cadet Summers."

"Thank you, sir."

"And, Cadet?"

"Sir?"

"Remember, infirmary and food. In that order."

"Yes, sir."

Buffy watched Colonel O'Neill walk away. Self-consciously, she noticed the sidelong glances she was receiving from her teammates. Buffy didn't think it was often that a full colonel was interested in the doings of a smack. She hoped that she didn't screw up dinner. At least being in the military simplified one thing. Before, Buffy would probably have taken hours trying to figure out what to wear. But when you only had uniforms, it made it pretty easy to pick out an outfit.

_Colorado Springs Airport, the next day..._

Colonel McNamara prepared to board his flight. He wasn't due back from leave for another day, but he wanted to speak with Professor Walsh. The investigation into Cadet Summers had proved... unsatisfactory. After questioning Cadet Wilson, McNamara had begun to doubt what he'd seen. The cadet had indicated that he was beat by a superior fighter, but one that was hardly superhuman. He also seemed to think he would win a rematch. McNamara doubted that, but Wilson's very confidence blunted the worst of his suspicions. He was honest enough with himself to wonder if it was his own prejudice against women that made what Cadet Summers had done seem so out of the ordinary. He didn't think so, but he would be extra careful in his judgment because of this.

He'd accessed her Academy file as well. She burned down a gym in high school and spent a few days in an asylum. Finding out that she had moved to Sunnydale after that had also served to whet his suspicions. Her involvement with what amounted to vigilante groups made him wonder if she was aware of the darker side of Sunnydale. He'd also found out that she'd had a powerful sponsor in Senator Kinsey, and had gained admission to the Academy partially upon letters of recommendation written by the deceased former mayor, chief of police, and principal of Sunnydale High. The former made him extra wary of her and the latter was suspicious in and of itself. McNamara wondered if she was one of the senator's 'pets.' If so, he would have to rethink or even abandon his approach. Once he was back in Sunnydale, McNamara thought he could talk Walsh into giving him some additional time and resources, but for now, he was done.

_Three days later..._

Buffy walked to class, trying to keep an eye out for second and first-class cadets. She'd been 'stood to' about ten times a day ever since winning that match over the Marine. So far, the impromptu inspections had taken three forms. The first were upperclassmen who wanted to congratulate her. Which was cool. The second were those who were curious about the notorious fourth-class they'd heard about. Which wasn't too bad. The third group was the problem. Those were the senior cadets who felt it their duty to put uppity smacks into their places. It didn't help that Buffy couldn't summon the faintest bit of apprehension towards them, a fact that apparently she needed to become much more adept at hiding.

Unfortunately, every cadet felt it their duty to grill her on her knowledge of the Air Force, the Academy, their history and traditions. Despite practically memorizing pretty much all of her Academy literature, as well as whatever other info she could get her hands on, when you're quizzed that often, there was always something they knew that you didn't. Buffy had received a record amount of demerits that she had to work off either through running, doing push ups, or by doing some assignment. She absolutely detested the last.

Buffy spotted one of her primary tormentors, First-Class Cadet Lloyd Merryman. She'd met the cadet for the first time two days ago. He fell into the third group.. Buffy wasn't sure why he was such an ass, but knew she hadn't made it better by her demeanor when he'd yelled questions into her face. The clincher had come when he'd yelled, "What was the score of last weekend's football game, Cadet Summers?!"

As Buffy had started to answer, Merryman had yelled at her, drowning out her reply. "Cadet, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" They'd both finished at the same time. He'd glared at her, obviously expecting her to start again. "Cadet, YOU WILL answer me!"

"Sir, I did answer!" Buffy managed not to roll her eyes at him. She probably shouldn't be even slightly ironic, but Merryman's manner had her back up. The one thing Buffy had struggled with since entering the Academy were the jerks who enjoyed using the Four-Class System to bully others.

"Cadet Summers! YOU WILL answer the question!" From the offended look on his face, Buffy had just seriously pissed off one First-Class Cadet Lloyd Merryman.

Ugh, Buffy thought, I think he just spit on me. She managed not to wipe off her cheek. "Sir, The Fightin' Falcons beat Colorado State, 45-17!"

"Cadet, I want an immediate answer when I speak to you! YOU WILL run two miles at drill today! Is that understood?" Merryman's eyes seemed to gleam as he gave Buffy her punishment. Two miles was extremely high for a minor demerit punishment. Ridiculously so.

Buffy kept her cool as she contemplated how easy it would be for her. "Yes, sir!" With that, Merryman had sauntered off.

Now, he was lurking near her engineering class. Buffy gave the matter a moment's thought, aware she was only a couple of minutes from being late. Deciding on a course of action, she put her plan into effect.

First-Class Cadet Lloyd Merryman stood ten feet from the door of the classroom. He figured to have another little chat with Cadet Summers. Their last meeting hadn't gone the way he'd expected. Instead of breaking down into tears, like the last five cadets he'd bullied, she hadn't even broken a sweat. Instead she'd been dryly ironic in the tone she'd taken when he'd told her to answer. There had also been a quickly hidden contemptuous look in her eyes when he'd chewed her out. Lloyd had enjoyed giving her two miles for her mouth. The penalty was just barely inside of regs, although usually reserved for more heinous offenses. He'd even shown up to her drill that afternoon, looking forward to seeing her stagger through it. Instead, she'd calmly run the four miles total she'd been assigned as penalties at an easy seven-minute-mile pace. She hadn't even bothered to take off her pack! She didn't look to be breathing hard at the end.

Lloyd started as someone brushed by him from behind. He hadn't even heard anyone come up behind him. Lloyd caught just a glimpse of a cadet with short blonde hair, her cap tucked under her arm. It was Summers. He was about to address her, but she'd opened the door to her classroom. Any kind of action against her with class starting up would be a serious no-no. If he had time, he would catch her after class. For now, he had other things to do: namely, conduct multiple inspections of various cadet facilities.

Lloyd was conscious of receiving some odd looks as he headed towards Vandenburg Hall, the first stop on his inspection tour. He was passing a group of female first-class cadets, headed by Cadet Jennifer Walters, when one he didn't recognize stopped, gave him a look, and touching her butt, making a neighing sound. They all burst into laughter. He stared at them in astonishment. Lloyd wondered what their malfunction was. He had a hint when he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of another cadet slowing down and looking at his back. Lloyd quickly stuck his hand behind his back. Feeling paper, he grabbed a sign that had been posted on his back. Smoothing out the paper, Lloyd read the sign: "HORSE'S ASS HERE."

Lloyd was beyond angry. When he figured out who'd done this, he was going to make them regret it. He briefly wondered if Cadet Summers was responsible, but dismissed the thought. No smack would be that bold. Although if he did find out she had anything to do with it, he would make sure she washed out of the Academy by spring.

_Cheyenne Mountain, Thursday afternoon..._

Jack dialed the number a second time. The first time he'd called, about an hour ago, it had been busy. Now it was ringing. "Captain Tom Billings."

"Captain, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill. We met this past weekend."

Tom was wary as he responded, "Of course, Colonel O'Neill. What can I do for you?"

"This is an unofficial call. I hoped you could help me with some information."

Tom wasn't actually reassured. "Of course, Colonel. I'll answer anything I can for you."

"Great. I had some questions about that cadet of yours, Summers."

"Cadet Summers? What do you need to know?" Tom was getting tense. He didn't like the fact that a full bird colonel with Jack O'Neill's ties to the intelligence community was asking questions about a smack. His smack.

Jack could almost feel the tension communicating itself across the telephone lines. He silently cursed for being too busy to actually go in person. But SG-1 could be called off-world at any moment. Not exactly the best time to head out to the Academy. "Relax, Captain. I was just wondering if she went and saw a doctor at the Academy infirmary. I saw her ribs after the match and they looked bruised at the very least."

"She's fine, Colonel. She went and saw Dr. Haskell. Clean bill of health. She was back to practice by Tuesday." Tom was feeling better. He'd heard that O'Neill had won a bundle on Cali. He hadn't been privy to the conversation that had occurred between them after the match, but it had seemed harmless.

Back to practice after only one day of rest? That didn't sound right to Jack. "Captain, I don't want to second guess you. But I've had extensive experience with injuries. Cadet Summers' ribs did not look like they'd have recovered in less than a week, if that. You're telling me she was fine after only one day of rest?"

Tom was starting to get angry. Controlling himself rigidly, he managed to say, "Colonel, I saw her ribs. They were still bruised a little, but there wasn't a hint of anything worse. X-rays on Monday showed there to be no fractures. Her physician also checked for separation and cartilage damage. There was none. Just a nice rainbow color. When Cali told me she was raring to go, I was fine with that. However, I did restrain her to only teaching and Tai Chi this week. Just in case."

Jack felt like an ass. "I'm sorry, Captain Billings. I'm being a pain in the ass, aren't I?"

"Colonel, I would never say that to a superior officer."

Jack laughed. He heard an answering chuckle from the other end of the line. "Well said. I'm glad Cali is okay. That brings me to the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. I arranged last weekend to take Summers out to dinner the weekend after Parents' Weekend. I want to talk to her about her career choices. Did she mention it to you?"

"No, sir, she did not. Colonel, while I appreciate the compliment you're paying my cadet, isn't this a little early to start thinking about recruiting? I mean the wash-out rate alone..."

Jack interrupted. "You think Cadet Summers will wash out, Captain?"

Tom hesitated, then capitulated. "No, sir, I do not. She's on her way to becoming a great officer. She will be a credit to the Air Force."

"That's how I see it too. I pulled her file on Tuesday, and read it. She's had a pretty rough high school experience. Losing her father and her entire high school graduating class to a gas explosion at graduation. She had those police issues her junior year of high school as well. Two murders?"

"Colonel, I'm also aware of what's in her file. All of her instructors were briefed on Cadet Summers because of the potential for emotional problems. Granted I got a slightly later brief than the others because this is an intramural sport rather than a signed-up-for prerequisite. But I asked questions. Sunnydale, where Cali's from, is a hotbed of gang activity. Cali was involved in Take Back The Night groups all through high school. I know she was cleared of any involvement in those crimes. She had letters of recommendation from both the mayor and chief of police of Sunnydale because of those activities. That's what I call officer material."

"Still, she also told us about her problems as a sophomore. Burned down her high school gym, didn't she? Not to mention, she also spent time in an asylum. I was wondering how she even got into the Academy. She was a late applicant, as well, wasn't she?"

"She passed a complete round of psychiatric tests, Colonel. More than any other cadet has in recent memory. She easily passed BCT. She's made friends. As far as how she got in, scuttlebutt was that her sponsor put the pressure on."

"Her sponsor? Who is that?"

"Senator Robert Kinsey, Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Sub-Committee. He's pretty high-powered when it comes to the civilian oversight of the Air Force. Are you familiar with him?"

Jack felt his stomach sink. "Yes, I am."

Hearing an undercurrent of some undefined emotion, Tom asked, "I take you don't think too much of him."

"You could say that, Captain. I had some difficulties with him at my command up at the Mountain. Gotta love the bean counters. They want every light bulb accounted for."

Tom chuckled, "Yes, they do. Well, I hoped I've answered your questions, Colonel."

"Actually, I have a couple more. I noticed Cadet Summers has taken three sports this year: Racquetball, fencing, and unarmed combat."

Tom was puzzled. "Yes, Colonel, that's right."

"One of the most important aspects of any officer or potential officer is his or her ability to be part of a team. Most of the sports available at the Academy are team sports. Yet Cadet Summers has deliberately chosen to avoid team sports, to focus on sports that force her to rely on her own abilities only. I am concerned that Cadet Summers either doesn't trust herself as part of a team or doesn't desire to be part of a team. Either issue will result in her failing in this Academy and as an officer in the Air Force. How would you address my concern?"

"Colonel, I'll need permission to speak freely."

Jack was puzzled. "Of course, Captain. Please, be completely frank."

Tom wound up and let fly. "Cadet Summers, Cali, came into my Advanced Unarmed Combat Class and in one day, impressed me enough for me to ask her to help teach this class. I've seen how she interacts with her classmates, all of whom are upperclassmen. The patience, dedication, and humility she has shown. Cadet Summers is courageous, loyal, bright, and a good communicator. She has managed to take her teammates farther than they'd ever gotten under my leadership. I don't know what else we want from one of our officers."

Jack was surprised to receive such a glowing endorsement from Captain Billings. "Captain, you've only known her for a short time. What makes you so certain?"

Tom snorted. "You're right, Colonel. I've only known Cali for a bit more than three months. But what I've seen from her! She's hungry to learn. I've rarely seen anyone like her. You pat her on the back to compliment and praise her, and she's surprised every time. That tells me how bad her experiences in the educational system must have been. I've gotten so many hints from her along those lines. About three weeks into helping me, she asked me if I thought she should speak to her engineering teacher about a problem she was having. It was as if she couldn't imagine Dr. Hwang would be happy to help her. I told her to talk to him. The issue was resolved satisfactorily, and she hasn't had a problem like that since. Sir, I think you should ask her about her experiences in high school."

"I'll do that, Captain. Still, it seems a bit of a coincidence that she didn't pick one team sport."

"Colonel..." Tom hesitated. His idea seemed absurd.

"Go ahead, Captain."

"I believe that Cadet Summers doesn't believe it's fair to compete in team sports. I think she'll avoid them because of just how talented she is physically."

"Ooookay, Captain. I'm just a United States Air Force colonel. That was a bit too zen for me."

"I mean, Colonel, that she is better than the people she would be playing with and against. I've seen her move. Cali's reflexes are probably the best I've ever seen. For a girl her size, she's amazingly strong. She runs like the wind and has an amazing vertical. I saw her showing one of my first-class cadets a spinning jump kick. She got an unbelievable amount of air on that kick. She's got incredible stamina. Cali's been getting a lot of gigging because of her wins last weekend. She's had to run an average of five miles a day. She could have used her rib injury to avoid punishment. But she didn't. She ran them with her pack on after drill. At a sub-seven minute mile pace. That's on top of all of the push ups. She really is an amazing athlete."

Jack was dumbfounded. Cadet Summers... that _shrimp_ was that athletic? Who would've thought it? Well, he'd seen odder things off-world, just not here. "That's an interesting theory, Captain."

"I had planned to talk to her later about this. Encourage her to do team sports in the spring. Well except for Unarmed Combat. I don't want to give up my best student."

"I think that would be wise, Captain Billings. I appreciate how frank you've been with me. You've given me a lot to think about. If you ever want to speak to me about Cadet Summers, please give me a call."

"Thank you, Colonel O'Neill. I hope you have a successful meeting."

Jack hung up slowly. Well that had been interesting. Of all the answers he'd expected to receive, Senator Kinsey being Cadet Summers' sponsor wasn't one of them. That made him more than a little uneasy. It seemed unlikely that she would be a plant. As a matter of fact, Jack wondered if she had ever even met the senator. He knew from his own experiences with junior officers that a lot of them never met their sponsors, instead communicating solely by letter and phone. So the world changes. At least he'd gotten a glowing endorsement from Captain Billings, which was the main thing he'd been looking for. He sat thinking a moment, then heard the klaxons going on off indicating the an off-world activation of the Stargate. As Jack grabbed his sidearm and coat, he hoped it was the expected Tok'ra group. Otherwise, it was going to be another long, tortuous shift...

_Colorado Springs, CO_

Joyce smiled at her customer, Jorge Ramirez, as she totaled up the purchase of the beautiful New England copper warming pan for him. "I know your wife's going to love this, Jorge."

"Gracias, Ms. Summers, gracias. It is truly lovely. I love so much the old things of our country."

"I do as well." With a final smile, Joyce finished with him. Glancing at the clock over the mantel, she saw that it was after 6:00 pm. Closing time, Joyce thought. She strode to the front of her small shop and turned the deadbolt.

Quickly working through the sales slips for the day, Joyce totaled everything up. It had been an excellent day. Besides the copper warming pan, Joyce had also sold a set of brass fireplace tools, one Han dynasty vase, an antique clock, a early American rolltop desk, and a beautiful set of antique calligraphy tools. In total, the items came to a little over $8,000, of which almost a third was profit, well, a little less than that after paying for overhead. It was an excellent day, though not the best she'd seen. Not bad for a single mom, Joyce thought. Especially one who was about to see her daughter for the first time tomorrow.

Joyce had missed Buffy dreadfully since dropping her off for BCT in July. The letters had helped, but nothing equaled actual time spent with your child. Joyce had devoured every letter, searching between the lines for hints as to how Buffy was doing. Every bit of her mother's intuition had said that Buffy was happy. Really and truly happy. In her wildest imagination, Joyce had never dreamed that Buffy would be a good fit for something like the Air Force. What had happened to the little girl who'd dreamed of being a professional skater because she so loved how pretty the skating outfits were?

She'd grown up. But then Buffy had to grow up, Joyce mused. Just as Joyce had to. Finding out your daughter was the latest in a long line of female warriors chosen to fight and die at an early age was something that either broke you, or made you stronger. Joyce had nearly broken that terrible night her daughter informed her of the existence of vampires and her sacred duty to fight them. The fight and subsequent flight had badly hurt them both. The thing that had hurt Joyce the most was knowing she'd driven her daughter away. The drink she'd taken that night hadn't been the last Joyce had drank, but it was the last time she drank to excess. Joyce had vowed to never again fail her daughter.

Joyce thought that for the most part, she'd succeeded, squashing a guilty image of handcuffs and a police car. She'd been there for Buffy throughout her senior year. Joyce had interceded where she could and done her best to make Buffy's life comfortable. Her pride at Buffy's SAT scores had been tremendous. The thought of her daughter escaping the trap she lived in to go to college at Northwestern had been one of her happiest moments. That dream had died, crushed like so many by the Hellmouth. Then out of the tragedy of graduation, among the death of so many people both she and Buffy had loved, had come another chance for Buffy. A chance at an education. A chance at a life away from blood, slime, and death. A chance at living past thirty.

Joyce hadn't known what to expect when she'd started researching the Air Force Academy. There had been reams of information for parents about the Academy and the experience it gave its students. Joyce had absorbed all of it. She wanted to do everything possible to help Buffy excel. The things she'd learned from various sources had quelled a lot of worries Joyce had about the Air Force. An old friend had answered many of her questions. Buffy had every chance to obtain a first-class education. Buffy could even become a doctor or lawyer. Of course one glance at Buffy's expression as she stared at a promotional video featuring the Thunderbirds and Joyce had known how futile that would be. Buffy would never be that sedentary, Joyce thought with a maternal smile.

Joyce considered her own life. The question of what to do while Buffy was off at the Academy had an easy answer. Sell her shop and house in Sunnydale. Buy another house and open a new shop in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she'd be close enough that Buffy, whenever she had leave, would be able to visit. It was funny how lighthearted she'd felt after leaving the shadow of Sunnydale. Joyce had never had many friends there. Now here in Colorado Springs, she'd already made a half dozen friends among the various business owners who shared the small shopping center containing her shop, Joyce's Antiques. All had been complimentary at finding out Joyce had a daughter in the Academy.

Smiling, Joyce checked off the things she'd done to get ready to visit Buffy. The sign in the door of her shop let prospective customers know she'd be closed through the weekend. The mountain bike Joyce had purchased for Buffy to ride around the area surrounding the Academy was in her sport utility. Joyce knew Buffy would be excited over that. Her letters had hinted how helpful it would be to have an alternative way to get around the area since she couldn't own a car until she was a second-class cadet. Joyce had also loaded Mr. Gordo for Buffy. The last thing she had to pack were the two apple pies she'd baked last night. That would wait until tomorrow.

_Saturday morning..._

Joyce waited anxiously near her vehicle for Buffy. They had agreed to meet here in the parking lot by the Visitors Center. Joyce had hinted that she would be bringing items for Buffy as an enticement. Joyce was glad of the warm woolen coat she wore as she waited. Colorado in October was colder than California in January. She caught a glimpse of blonde hair and started to take a step forward, only to be almost bowled over by a whirlwind. Joyce hugged Buffy back almost as hard as she was being hugged. The key being almost. Joyce managed to wheeze out, "Buffy. Can't breathe."

Buffy relaxed her hug. "Sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to squish you. It's sooo good to see you!"

"Step back and let me take a look at you." Joyce moved Buffy back to arm's length. Her daughter practically glowed with health. There was none of the weariness that had bowed her shoulders for so long. Her face was astonishingly lovely without even a hint of make up. Buffy's blonde hair was even shorter than it had been when Joyce had dropped her off in July. What was scary was that Buffy had indicated that it had been cut again just prior to BCT. Buffy'd had four months now to grow it out, so just _how_ short had it been? Buffy wore a deep blue skirt and jacket, a lighter blue blouse, and her head was topped with a matching blue cap. Her uniform was neat as a pin. She looked every inch an Air Force Officer Candidate, Joyce thought fondly. "You look wonderful, Buffy. Just like an officer."

"Do I? I hope I look more Catherine Bell in _JAG_ than than that drill instructor lady in _Private Benjamin_." Buffy's face crinkled into a smile as she joked.

"Definitely Catherine Bell. But hotter." Joyce nodded vigorously at Buffy's doubtful expression over this last.

"Okay, you ready to rumble, Mom?"

"Absolutely, but first, let me show you something." Joyce walked around to the back of her Grand Cherokee and opened the tailgate. She saw Buffy's eyes widen as she took in the black Trek 9000 mountain bike. Joyce winced at Buffy's squeal.

"Oh my God! Mom! It's great! Thank you so much!" Buffy couldn't believe that her mom had bought her this. It was so nice. It even had shock absorbers!

"Well, I can see you like it. It doesn't seem that long ago that you wanted a car. Now you've worked your way up to a bike. Maybe you'll be ready to ride a trike by the time you're thirty." Joyce laughed at the priceless look on Buffy's face. It was equal parts chagrin and amusement.

Buffy wore a rueful grin as she acknowledged the validity of what her mom had just said. She was excited by a bike. Now she would be able to get around much easier than before. Her range had just increased to a radius of thirty miles, or more. Not that she couldn't have run that far in just a couple of hours. Just it would have looked a wee bit suspicious. So new bike. Yay!

"Good one, Mom. What else do you have for me?" Buffy nodded towards the medium-size box sitting next to her bike.

"I try. Let's see. One stuffed pig, aka Mr. Gordo. And two apple pies, your favorite."

"Mom, I love you. And not just cause you brought me Mr. Gordo and pie. It's so good to see you." Buffy hugged Joyce a second time. This time the hug was gentler and lasted longer. She managed to blink away happy tears.

"Okay, sweetie, why don't you grab your new bike. I'll carry the box. We can drop off this stuff in your room and you can show me around."

"Sure thing, Mom." Buffy easily lifted the bike and set it on the ground. After Joyce grabbed the box, they walked together towards Buffy's dorm, Buffy walking the bike there.

"So, what have you been up to?" Joyce asked as they walked together.

"I don't know where to start. Okay, I'll begin at the beginning..."

_Three hours later..._

"So this jarhead was like 'We'll stop this just as soon as Cadet Summers says that I can beat her.' I really let him have it, Mom. Don't worry, no one suspected I was the slayer. Not even Colonel O'Neill." Buffy grinned as she contemplated how much fun the match had been.

"Colonel O'Neill?" Joyce queried.

"He's the guy who made the Marine apologize the first time. Then he backed me to win with some of the officers there from the other services." At Joyce's raised brows, Buffy quickly explained, "He didn't want me to fight. When I made it so there was no choice, he chewed me out. He was really worried about me. Afterward, he checked me out."

"Why would he need to check you out?"

Buffy realized her mistake. Uh oh, she thought, seeing the expression on Joyce's face. "Weellll, you see, I kinda slipped on the mat where Wilson's sweaty body landed earlier. It was waayyy gross, by the way. When I was down, he caught me in the ribs with an elbow. I wasn't expecting a cheap shot like that. It cost him two points, too, although I think the ref wanted to disqualify him. He probably got in big trouble back at Annapolis. Anyway, Colonel saw me wince and made sure I was okay. He told me to go to the infirmary as soon as I got back, which I did. Oh, and he invited me out to dinner on him."

Joyce felt the first stirrings of alarm. "Buffy, how old is Colonel O'Neill?"

Buffy knew immediately what Joyce was really asking. "Ewww, Mom. He's like Giles's age. Very old and gross. Although, _you_ might think he's cute." Buffy wore an innocent expression at Joyce's mock glare. Giggling, she continued, "Anyway, it's not like that. He wants to talk to me about my career. He even wants me to bring a notebook and be prepared to take notes."

"Is that common? I mean for officers to do things like this?"

"Kinda sorta. Usually it doesn't happen until at least Third-Class or even Second-Class. To have someone like Colonel O'Neill take an interest in you is awesome. That means they see a lot of good qualities in you and want to groom you to join their or possibly a friend's command. He works out of Cheyenne Mountain, too."

Joyce frowned at the last statement. That her daughter still had some vestige of her sacred duty was disturbing. The danger posed by the Stargate gave Joyce the odd nightmare, even if the messenger whose name Buffy'd said was Whistler indicated the worst danger was still five years away. "What does he do there?"

"Deep Space Radar Telemetry."

"That seems a bit... tame for you."

"I know, but I figure it's got to be a cover. You know, Top Secret and all that stuff. He probably doesn't work on the Stargate, but maybe he knows someone who does. Anyway, I am soo looking forward to dinner with him."

"You're making me jealous," Joyce kidded. She did feel slightly threatened by the close ties Buffy had forged with her teachers. Buffy had waxed on about every one of her teachers, although she had special praise for Captain Billings, her Unarmed Combat coach, Lieutenant Colonel Richards, her Military Theory professor, and now Colonel O'Neill, her possible advisor. Joyce knew how glad she should be that Buffy finally had teachers who cared about developing her potential, something that had never happened in high school. She was very glad on some level, but on another, the green-eyed monster fanned the flames.

Buffy looked Joyce straight in the eye. "Mom, I love you. I am so proud to be your daughter. I could never have done all of the things, survived all of the things I've been through, without you. Never be jealous of anyone. You are the most important person in my life."

Joyce felt her eyes tearing up. She grabbed Buffy in another hug. "I love you too, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you. You're the most important person in the world to me."

_Sunday afternoon..._

Joyce watched her daughter's face, rather than the celebration, as the formation of jets roared overhead. Buffy was definitely going to interested in flying. Joyce had met all of Buffy's professors now. Each had something personal and complimentary to say about her daughter. After more than two years of dealing with Principal Snyder, Joyce was finding this amazingly refreshing.

Buffy grinned, enjoying the precision flying going on above them. It was a wonderfully relaxing day since she was 'at rest' over the entire campus because of Parents' Weekend. She could even be at rest on the Terrazzo, meaning no running. Of course, she still had to do the standard 'Good morning/afternoon/evening, sir/ma'am/Cadet _' to every upperclassman and officer, but it wasn't that big a deal. And she finally got to stroll the Ho Chi Minh Trail, normally off-limits to fourth-class cadets unless there was a thunderstorm.

Joyce winced at a particularly low maneuver brought the noise level to extreme. Even Buffy winced a bit. Joyce still remembered the shock she'd felt when Buffy had greeted another cadet with, "Good morning, ma'am! Strong and mighty!" The other cadet had given just a nod in return. When Joyce had asked, Buffy had explained that was her class greeting, based on her graduation year, given to unknown upperclassmen. It seemed complicated to Joyce, although it appeared Buffy found it simple. Another cadet had received, "Good morning, Cadet Halloran! First look, then kill!" After that cadet was out of earshot, Buffy explained that since Cadet Halloran was in her squadron, you greeted him with the squadron greeting versus the class greeting. Apparently, Buffy had even had a special BCT squadron greeting where she was the 'Big, Bad, Barbarians.' Still it was better than the 'Dirty Demons.' Joyce was still having a hard believing that Buffy had adapted so well to the Air Force. Of course, the proof was right in front of her eyes.

Finally, the aerial displays finished. Buffy led Joyce back to her car. There, she pulled Joyce into a tight hug. "Thanks again for the bike, Mom. I'll put it to good use, although that'll probably be in the spring." Buffy gestured to the snow already on the ground. She'd actually had to get her greatcoat earlier because of the temperature drop.

"See that you do," Joyce admonished teasingly. "I'm going to miss you all over again."

"Well, Thanksgiving is coming up very soon. I get four days off for that. I'll be home to be stuffed with turkey and dressing and pie. Don't forget the pumpkin pie."

Joyce stroked her daughter's cheek. "I'll make two pies, okay? Just come home."

"Two? Yum. I'll be there. Bye, Mom, I love you." Buffy smiled bravely as she said goodbye. She was already missing Mom. Thank goodness Thanksgiving is just a over a month away.

"I love you too, Buffy. I'll see you at Thanksgiving." With that, Joyce climbed into her Jeep and started it. Putting the truck into gear, she slowly back out. As she drove off, she found herself watching as her daughter's figure grew smaller in the distance. Part of her was bursting with pride. The other part of her wanted nothing more than to turn around, grab Buffy, and head home with her for good. Fortunately, the pride part won. Joyce smiled as she thought about Thanksgiving. Turkey and dressing and pumpkin pie. And maybe she'd try that pecan pie recipe again. It had been six years since The Incident. Maybe Buffy had developed a taste since...


	9. Chapter Nine—Multiple Threats

**Chapter Nine—First Year: Multiple Threats**

Connie Perez checked the stacks in the library for the book she needed. No dice. It was either not there, or it was misfiled, an unfortunately all-too-common happenstance in the dear Zoo library. Mother fucker, she thought, I still have to finish that damn report for Military Theory! Not getting it right was going to result in yet another reduction in the grade she received for the military part of her schooling. Academically, she was doing solidly, while her physical training grade was close to the top of her class. Of course Cali's physical training grade was _at_ the top. Cali was doing great. Sometimes, Connie envied her roommate.

Connie had struggled to fit in from day one. The constant in-your-face screaming of Firsties was something she could do without, along with the endless drill. The other day, they'd drilled for hours, just because their training officer was on the rag. But while Connie was struggling, her roommate, 'Cali' Summers, seemed to be thriving. The pressure the Zoo put on 4-digs was infamous, but Cali just went through it without even a blip. No matter how much extra running, drill, or push ups she was assigned, Cali just did them as if they were nothing. Oh, she bitched just like every other smack at God's Academy, but that was all Cali did. She never went out of her way to try to figure out a way around it.

By, for instance, cheating. Connie had struggled with the balance of the physical, military, and academic life since the day she arrived here. So far she'd avoided cheating, despite all-too-numerous opportunities. Cheating was a fact of life at the Zoo. Especially among fourth-class cadets who had neither the true understanding of the honor code of the Air Force, nor the discipline to handle the workload. Connie had been her high school valedictorian, while at the same time, participating in both student government and lettering in three sports. Not bad for a Cubanita. That had been high school, but the Zoo was different. The pressure on her was enormous. So Connie found herself tempted to take shortcuts, especially on things that didn't really matter. Like her Military Theory Exam. Except that Connie didn't think Cali would see it that way.

One thing Connie had figured out about Cali within the first few days of knowing her was this: Cali was what she was and wasn't going to be significantly changed by the Zoo. However, she'd make it through the Zoo with clear skies because she already shared so many of the core values. Cali did not waste time on meaningless bullshit. However, to her, the Zoo's honor code was anything but that. Cali had a sense of honor like some damn medieval knight. It was like she'd kill you while saying a prayer for your soul. Connie had seen her stand up under a screaming rant from some one-dig without even batting an eyelash, her eyes cool and serene. But more importantly, Cali's eyes evaluated the Firstie, judging him or her against some standard in her head. All too often that faint sense of contempt touched her eyes as she found them wanting. Oh, she didn't display it overtly, but it was there. It was as if Cali had already gone through something harrowing and couldn't dredge up the energy to either respect or feel threatened by someone who hadn't. Maybe that damn _Take Back The Night_ program she'd joined back in high school was the reason.

Connie had entered the Zoo with all the confidence in the world. She'd thought her high school background had prepared her for whatever it could throw at her, allowing her to not only survive, but excel. She'd been mistaken. Whatever Cali had gone through in her own high school days, had not only prepared her for the worst the Zoo could hit her with, but seemed to give her endless reserves. An example was how easily she'd fit in with the older cadets of the Advanced Unarmed Combat Class. Having gone through a variety of such classes, you would think they'd be even more arrogant than a normal First. Connie had met a couple of the second-classers Cali practiced with. Met as in had them screaming in her face right before doing the same to Cali.

But there'd been a difference in how they treated Connie versus how they treated Cali. With Connie, there had been a concentrated effort to push her into a mistake, along with the absolute contempt any smack was held in until at least Recognition, that time-honored, one-week-long rite of passage that combined aspects of every nightmare a smack had ever had. When it came Cali's turn, the two cadets had repeated Connie's inquisition, with one subtle difference. Despite the screaming and attempt to pressure her into a mistake, it was clear that they'd already accepted her. They didn't hold Cali in contempt. If their demeanor didn't show it, their eyes did. And the questions they'd drilled Cali with were the ordinary ones that any smack could and did answer daily.

Cali had her weird hang ups. Like how she always wore a cross, even though she wasn't even remotely religious. When Connie asked her about it, she'd just said, "I believe in God. But just because I believe in Him, doesn't mean he needs me to kiss up to Him. He leaves me alone and I leave Him alone." Except if that was true, why the cross? Probably the oddest thing about Cali was that the girl didn't sleep. Oh, she hit the hay at lights out, but was up by 2:30 am every morning. Reading her books. Ironing her uniforms. Polishing her shoes until they were like mirrors. Practicing some damn esoteric martial art. She never woke Connie up, moving around the room like a cat. Except a cat was louder. Connie had been prepared to find out Cali was a closet junkie, amped up on meth. No such case. You couldn't live with someone for months on end and not find out most of their deep, dark secrets.

Not that Cali had many. For instance, she was the healthiest person Connie knew. Nothing physical phased her. Not the drill. Not the running. BCT was a breeze. She'd finished at the top of all female cadets on her PFT and AFT. Cali had actually finished third overall including the _men_, a fact almost no one realized. There had been a couple of guys who'd given Cali funny looks, but then had shaken their heads, lulled by her appearance. Tiny and blonde seemed to turn off some circuit in guys' brains.

She was also some kind of savant when it came to martial arts. Connie had awoken one morning to find Cali going through some kind of slow motion form that had been both beautiful to watch and impossible to duplicate. Connie knew cause when she'd tried, she'd almost ended up pulling something. And when Cali ate! If Connie had half the metabolism of her roommate she'd walk off campus to Church Row and kneel at every alter there giving thanks to the Lord. Seeing Cali at chow was awe-inspiring. In between giving News Reports and filling out Form 0-96, Cali still managed to wolf down at least double what Connie ate. Every time. Where she put it was a subject of debate among the other smacks. Speculation ranged from a hollow leg to serious bulimia. Of course, Connie knew that was B.S. Cali didn't suffer from any of the problems of a normal person.

Except for one thing. The nightmares. Connie wouldn't trade for anything, even the metabolism, if the nightmares came along with it. Especially near the beginning of term, Connie had woken on more than one occasion to the sound of someone choking back screams. She'd gotten up and turned on the light to see her roommate tossing and turning, tangled in her sheets, sweat matting her face and torso. The sounds she'd made were tortured. Agonized sobs and cries. The cries had sounded like the torments of the damned. Almost always, Cali would eventually wake up on her own. However, the first time this had happened, Connie had tried to wake her up and almost had her head taken off by a flashing kick that had completely twisted Cali's body around. This while she was still asleep! The only thing that had saved Connie was that she'd grabbed Cali's foot and shaken it, not somewhere higher. Cali had been apologetic, but had asked Connie not to touch her when she was asleep. She said if it got too bad, just toss a book at her. Connie never did. Fortunately, over time, the frequency and severity of the dreams had slackened. It had been over a month since the last one.

Connie continued to check the shelves, hoping against hope that the book was somewhere. She'd just about given up when she found it, a depressingly thick tome, bound in a lovely shade of olive green. Dragging its substantial weight off the shelf and into her arms, Connie was about to head back to her table, when she heard the two male voices talking quietly on the other side of the stack. She was starting to move away, when she caught a name she knew. She stopped and listened.

"I tell you, Lloyd, that Summers is one _hot_ smack. Out of all the little chickies in the so-so Class of '03, she's out and out the sweetest piece of ass, hands down. She may very well be the hottest piece in the entire Zoo. Or you are going to propose another candidate?"

"Fuck, Sher, maybe she is. At least she's not another butter."

"Yeah, look at that body, but her face... Ohhh!"

The two first-class cadets shared a coarse laugh. Connie should have been pissed, but couldn't gather the energy. That kind of attitude was all too prevalent at the Zoo. Maybe someday it'd change, but as of today, it hadn't. Fuck, she thought, I need to get out of here. The last thing she needed was to be busted listening in on two Firsties. Then she heard something that froze her in place.

"I'm going to tap that ass before Recognition, I kid you not. Imagine her ankles around her ears. Or around mine."

"Whatever. I can pretty much guarantee that little slut won't be around for you or anyone else to hit when I'm through."

"Ohhh, Lloyd, you're acting all manly. So I take it you figured out she was responsible for the sign you had on your back?"

"Fuck if I know, but if she didn't do it, she saw it and didn't say anything about it. That's enough in my book. I'll bust her out whatever stops I have to pull out."

"You'd better be damn careful. You know they look close at wash-outs, especially of the female gender."

"Fuck that! Smacks wash out all the time. You know it. I know it. And so do the Powers That Be. It's not like she'll be around to defend herself."

"Dammit, you couldn't find a dog to bust out? I was seriously looking forward to seeing how many shots it took to get her on her back. She's got such a tight little body. The little ones are always the sweetest rides." This last was accompanied by one of those laughs that boys do when they know they're talking about something nasty that they shouldn't be. Connie felt icy sweat running down the back of her uniform blouse, but she stayed put.

"Shots, huh? Do you even care if she's conscious?"

"Conscious is overrated. As long as it's female and breathing, I'll hit it. Besides, it's a lot harder for someone to say no if they're out of it. Like last Spring. You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know. Still, like I said, she won't be around."

"Fuck. I'll tell you what. I'll bet you I can tap Summers's sweet spot before you can get her out."

"You serious? You know you're going to lose. She can't even go off-base yet without asking for a pass. And she gets what? Three or four this Fall? Kind of hard getting her drunk if she's stuck in the Zoo."

"Yeah, so you hold off on working your angle until next semester. Then we both start at the same time, say, January 15. How's that sound?"

"What are the stakes?"

"The usual."

"Shit, you've got a bet. You're going to lose."

There was a few seconds pause.

"Goddammit!"

"What?"

"I just realized I'm protecting the little bitch's virtue by busting her out. The things I do to win a bet."

Connie felt the voices start to fade as the men walked away from her. She stared at the book in her hands. Connie had to tell Cali about this. One of the cadets was definitely Lloyd Merryman. Connie shivered. Remembering the look in Cali's eyes last week when he called her out, Connie couldn't help but wonder how Cali was going to react to this. She just hoped Cali didn't go ballistic...

/\LBLE/\LBLE/\LBLE/\LBLE/\LBLE/\

Buffy strode into her room. She had a few minutes until evening chow. A chance to unwind and and relax in the one place of no salutes and no tension. Then she spotted Connie, who sat in her chair staring at Buffy, obviously waiting for her. Great, something was up. So much for the no tension. When you're the lowest of the low, anything going on was all too often not of the good.

"Okay, Connie, out with it. What's the what?" Might as well find out right now before she had to head out into the world of no contractions.

"Pardon?" Connie was startled. How did Cali know that Connie needed to speak to her? If that was what she'd meant by that. Sometimes Cali really was all too Cali.

"You were sitting and waiting for me. So you must have something to say. So out with it. What horror has the Zoo decided to visit upon lowly us." Buffy smiled. Could Connie have been any more obvious?

"Not the Zoo. Just two members. A couple of Firsties. You're familiar with one of them. You put a sign on his back."

"Not Merryman?" At Connie's nod, she exploded, "Shit! It's Merryman! What is he up to now?"

"I was in the library when I heard him and someone he called 'Sher' talking about you."

"What did they say?"

"Which one? Sher thinks you're the hottest girl in our entire class. He wants to bang you." Connie had to admit he had a point. Buffy was extremely attractive. If Connie swung that way, she'd probably have been all over her. Fortunately, Connie was strictly hetero. Tall, dark, and handsome was her battle cry. She didn't have to worry about 'don't ask, don't tell.'

"Should I be flattered?" Buffy wasn't too sure she wanted to have the label of the hottest girl in class. She'd already seen how guys behaved here. So far it hadn't bothered her, but she'd seen other girls become increasingly freaked out by cadet life and the attitudes they sometimes received. Maybe all that practice ignoring Snyder was coming in handy after all.

"Not if you heard him talk. Let's just say he doesn't care if you're conscious. Just warm and breathing. At least I think that's where he draws the line." Connie didn't particularly enjoy reliving that part of the conversation. It made her ill thinking that bastard had actually assaulted some girl. Maybe both of them.

Buffy was aware of the things that boys thought about her and other girls, having at one time read the minds of all too many of the breed, so didn't ask for further explanations. "And Merryman?"

"He wants to kick you out of the Zoo." Which would suck, Connie thought. The Air Force would lose a great officer and she would lose a friend. And her life would be poorer for that loss.

"Sheesh, I wonder why? Did he find out I put the sign on his back?" Buffy was aware that if he had, she was in trouble. No one held a grudge like a Firstie who'd been dissed by a smack. They could get Old Testament when it came to vengeance.

"No, thank God. The guy's just an ass. He probably has a hundred people who hate him enough to do it. But he suspects. Besides he figures you didn't tell him about the sign, so you're fair game." Connie would not have done what Cali did for all the tea in China. Cali just didn't seem to have the normal fears of most people. Maybe it was because of what she'd lost last spring. Living through an event like that had to change a person. Maybe it was just one more of the things that made her who she was.

"Great, neanderthal man wants to mate with me, and cro-magnon man wants to expel me. Could it get any worse?" Buffy was annoyed. The last thing she needed to have piled on top of her current load was a couple of psychotic jackasses looking for score or for payback.

"Well, yeah." Connie was reluctant to tell this last part, but figured she might as well get it over with.

Buffy stared, then made a circular gesture with two fingers. "Spill."

"They made a bet."

"A _what_?" Cali's eyes flashed as she spoke, anger darkening her irises from their usual sparkling green to a darker shade. Dangerous things lay in the depths of her gaze.

"They bet on whether 'Sher' would bang you before Lloyd got you expelled." Connie felt better after having the last of it off her chest.

Cali slowly smiled. It wasn't a very nice smile. Watching her, Connie felt afraid of Cali for the first time. The look in Cali's eyes could only be described as merciless. Connie had seen looks like that in the eyes of predators she's seen in the Miami Zoo where her parents had taken her as a child. The ones with the L's in front of their name. Like lion. And leopard. Connie was glad she wasn't anyone named Merryman or Sher. Maybe I'm being fanciful, she thought. After all, what did a girl from California have in common with a predator? After a moment, she asked, "You have a plan?"

"I have something. So, did they say when this bet starts?" Wheels were turning in Buffy's head.

"Not until next term so that it would be more fair to Sher. Merryman said he would back off until then."

"Good." Buffy knew her voice was flat, without inflective. She was trying to hold onto her composure. She hadn't been this angry since arriving at the Academy. She was almost, but not quite, Angelus-angry.

Connie waited. When no explanation was forthcoming, she asked, "What are you going to do? Go to the the Commandant's Office?" If she did, Connie doubted anything would happen. She'd heard too many stories of actual rape victims whose cases had been whitewashed to believe that a smack would be believed over a couple of Firstie's.

"No." Buffy kept her answer short. She didn't want to involve her roommate in what she was going to have to do. Better to deal with it herself. That way, she would be the only one facing the axe.

Connie burst out, "I want to help." She felt surprised at her own offer. While she liked Cali, Connie had not planned to get involved beyond warning her. After all, if Connie was caught, the best she could hope for would be working off demerits at drill for months. At worst... well it didn't bear thinking about. Except now here she was offering to help Cali. Connie didn't understand what was driving her to follow the other girl. But she wouldn't back off now.

"I see."

Connie felt Cali's gaze like an actual weight upon her skin. She was being measured. Her character. Her commitment. It wasn't a very reassuring feeling and made something deep inside Connie tighten. The feeling was just like the one she'd felt the first time she'd gone past the glitzy recruitment officers and actually met a combat veteran who'd grilled her on her reasons for joining the Air Force. His eyes had weighed and measured her, trying to see into her heart. Trying to put a value on her integrity. Just like Cali's were doing now.

"I need to ask you something first."

"Go ahead." Connie's mouth was dry as she replied. Her heart was starting to beat faster.

"Do you think Lloyd Merryman and this Sher are worthy of becoming officers in the Air Force? Don't answer right away. Think about it for a second."

Something that had been dancing in the depths of Cali's gaze was now at the surface, visible to all. Icy and cold, it looked a lot like judgment. Connie closed her mouth, her first impulse stopped in its tracks. She took a moment and thought about it. Were those two officer material? By any definition of the word, they weren't. One was an all-around asshole, while the other was an admitted rapist. They were filth and would sully the character of the United States Air Force. Lloyd was in the bottom third of his class. Connie doubted that Sher was doing much better, although she had no basis for comparison.

Connie hadn't known at first what Cali was after when she'd first said to 'think about it for a second.' Now she did. Cali was asking Connie if she was willing to help with a plan to drum the two of them out of the Zoo. That was beyond serious. If it had been anyone other than Cali suggesting it, Connie would have laughed. Two smacks up against two Firsties? On the surface, it appeared ridiculous. Staring into Cali's cool eyes, Connie felt any inclination to laugh die an early death. Still, this was not something to be undertaken lightly. Not just because of possible ramifications if they were caught, but because by doing this Connie would be walking a fine line of conduct herself. Could she justify the things she might have to do to get those two bastards out of her service? The only answer was "No, they aren't worthy of being officers. If I let them graduate and gain commissions, they will demean everything that I took an oath to uphold."

Green eyes met dark brown. "I agree completely. Merryman wants to get rid of me. Well I want to do the same to him. And his friend. I have an idea how to accomplish this, but the first step is to find out exactly who 'Sher' is. Once we do that, we know both our enemies. How does that sound?"

"Well, Butch, I think that sounds just fine." Connie's eyes danced, to be met by an answering spark in Cali's.

"Butch, huh? Well I guess that makes you Sundance. Let's just hope we're more successful than they were. I, for one, am not looking forward to getting shot full of holes."

_Following Saturday, 6:30 PM..._

Jack O'Neill pulled up to the Visitor Center of the Zoo. Getting out of his staff car, he looked around for his smack. There she was. She was hanging out around the front doors, out of the wind, her greatcoat buttoned to the neck. Gotta love Colorado, Jack thought. Even though it was only early November, winter had arrived with a vengeance. He waved at the bundled figure, getting her attention. I wonder why our coats look just like a Nazi's from the last war, Jack mused silently as he watched Cadet Summers come to rigid attention in front of him, her feet at a perfect forty-five degree angle, her salute held perfectly straight with her palm canted just slightly downward. Her face was flushed by the wind and her eyes danced. Jack let her stand there a moment, then finally decided to let her relax.

Jack returned her salute. "At ease, Cadet Summers. How are you enjoying our fine weather?"

"Sir, the weather is good. I have never felt anything like it, though."

"I bet, since you're from California." Jack checked his watch. "Let's get this show on the road."

Jack moved to the other side of the car, letting his cadet open her own door. Prior to arriving, he'd felt a bit of trepidation over what he was doing. He'd _never_ sponsored a cadet. And here he was sponsoring one, a smack at that. Oh well, he thought, she won't be a smack after Recognition. But he would still be sponsoring her. Jack smiled sardonically at his own thoughts. Coward, he told himself. Look at it this way, he thought. The worst thing she could be is a plant. And what are the odds of that?

"Sir, may I ask a question?"

"Certainly. But first, drop the extra formality. Sir or Colonel is fine, but you don't have to ask to ask question. Just speak your mind." Jack ruthlessly suppressed amusement at the wide-eyed stare he got in return. At his patient expression, Cadet Summers stammered out a reply.

"Yes, sir! Uh, sorry, sir."

"So what was your question?"

"I was just wondering where we are going to eat, Colonel?"

"There's this little bar slash steak house not far from here. My team and I blow off steam there occasionally. They make a mean steak. I'm sure you wouldn't mind a nice steak, would you?" Jack smiled at the positively lustful look Cali wore at his statement. Then her face fell.

"Sir, I don't know the etiquette for ordering when eating with a superior."

"Order what you want. I'll let you in on a little secret. I made a bundle betting on you against that jarhead. The odds against you were thirty-to-one. Probably because I was the only one betting for you, other than Captain Billings. If you want two steaks, that's fine. I think I can afford it."

Buffy felt her eyes widen at Colonel O'Neill's revelation. He bet on her. Wow, Buffy thought, it's cool that he had that much confidence in her. Now that he'd mentioned it again, Buffy remembered him saying something before about winning a bundle on her. It made her feel less guilty about sponging off of him.

She enjoyed the ride to the steakhouse, making idle chit chat with Colonel O'Neill on subjects ranging from the weather to the finer points of Shotokan katas. As they pulled into the parking lot, Buffy read the name: "O'Malley's". Sounds like a good name for a steakhouse, she thought. Getting out of the car after Jack parked, Buffy followed him in.

Jack signaled the hostess for a table. As he and Cadet Summers followed the swaying hips of the hostess, he looked over the room. Uh oh, Jack thought, as he spotted SG-1 sitting at a table farther in. Daniel gave him a wave, inviting him to join them. Conscious of Carter and Teal'c's stares, Jack made a gesture towards his back, indicating that he was here with someone. Daniel nodded, letting Jack know he got the message. Of course, he was going to be grilled tomorrow, but he'd deal with it then.

Dr. Daniel Jackson leaned closer to Major Samantha Carter and whispered, "Who's that with Jack, Sam?"

Sam gave the pair a careful look, then shrugged. "Dunno, but it might be the cadet he said he was going to sponsor. I know he was supposed to meet with her soon, so that soon might be tonight. Have you heard anything, Teal'c?"

"I have not, Samantha Carter. O'Neill has told me about the young warrior's skill. I believe he compared her favorably with Master Bra'tac. I was surprised at someone so young being so proficient." You couldn't tell from the impassive expression on Teal'c's face whether he truly believed what Jack had said or not. The slight glint in his eyes belayed his serious expression.

Sam raised her eyebrows at this. Considering that the old Jaffa was tough as old boot leather and twice as mean, that was saying something. Sam studied the girl as she took off her greatcoat. She was dressed in the standard uniform of the Zoo, navy skirt and jacket, with a lighter blue blouse. The girl was _tiny_, standing barely two inches over five feet. Her face was lovely and animated as she described something to Jack, her hands moving in a series of fast gestures. I wonder what she's saying, Sam mused?

"Then I pulled in tight and hit my best Dorothy Hammill-esque spin. I got a silver, but I still think the judges were paid off, sir." Buffy had just finished describing the high point of her figure skating career at the tender age of thirteen, when she'd sported the haircut of her idol. She'd so deserved gold, especially since she was the only one there who could do a double or a reverse double.

"It sounds like it. So do you know what you want?" Jack gestured at the menu Summers still held in her hands. He figured she hadn't even looked at it. And the waitress was on her way.

"I know what I want. Anything, right sir?"

"Sure."

At the waitress's expectant look, Buffy ordered eighteen ounces of smoked sirloin, a baked potato, a Cesar salad, and chicken nachos for an appetizer.

Jack shrugged. It sounded good. "Make that two, except I'll take the bacon and cheese smothered french fries instead of nachos. Thanks." He handed back the menu and turned to Cadet Summers. "So while we're waiting, how about you tell me what you're thinking about majoring in, Cadet."

Buffy quickly pulled her notebook and pen from the pocket of her greatcoat. "Sir, I'm currently considering Geospatial Science or Space Operations. I'm interested in both. I'm leaning more towards Space Operations. I want to see space."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "You know about the cutbacks in the shuttle program, Cadet. What makes you think you'll be able to make the grade. They want the best of the best for astronaut training."

Buffy's face fell. "Yes, sir, you're right. I don't know that I'll have the grades. I'm in the top third of my class academically, but not the top two or three. I am number one in Physical Training and number two in Military Training. I know that's good enough to get me into pilot training, which is my second choice."

"Fighters?" Jack grinned. That had been his choice once upon a time. He still enjoyed the occasional flight, despite the satisfaction of commanding SG-1.

Buffy's eyes gleamed. "Yes, sir. The thought of flying an F-22 is... exciting. I would still like space, but that would be great as well."

"Well if your military and physical grades stay that high, you can count on graduating near the top of your class. That would put you in the running for your choice of assignment. However, I would like you to consider my command."

"Deep Space Radar Telemetry, sir?"

"Yes, it's quite interesting. And you would get the chance to earn your wings there as well."

"Sir, it sounds interesting, but I'm not sure..."

"Think about it, Cadet. I would like you to consider spending time there Second-Class Summer term. I can't let you see any of the really interesting stuff, but you'll get a feel of the Mountain. What do you think about that?"

"Well, sir, I can do that."

"Good, good. What are your plans for this summer?"

"Parachuting and sailplane, sir."

Jack frowned. "You're considering taking on both?"

"Yes, sir. I know it's hard, but Major Harriman said I could do it if I was up to the physical challenge."

"Cadet, are you aware of just how strenuous the physical demands are for para-school?"

"Sir, I am. I feel confident I can do it. I'm sitting third overall in the PFT and AFT. I'm not afraid of the physical demands. I'm more worried about the intellectual demands of learning to fly a sailplane."

Jack caught something odd. "I thought you said you were first in your class in Physical Training."

"Yes, sir. I am. I'm third overall at the Zoo. Among both men and women."

Jack raised his brows. Okay, he thought. Captain Billings had not been joking when he'd described just how physical Cadet Summers was. If anything, he'd underplayed the matter. Third was no joke, especially when you factored in the older male cadets and their competiveness. "How did you manage that?"

Buffy shrugged. She couldn't tell the truth, that a smirk from one of her classmates as he'd passed Buffy had made her pick up her pace to beat him handily during their latest Physical Testing. It was only later that she'd realized that she'd beaten the guy ranked number one in her class in Physical Training, who was a bona fide high school track star to boot. He was also joining the Air Force Track Team. Buffy had downplayed the run and somehow dodged all attempts to get her to join the track team. Now though, she got even more odd looks from her classmates. "I guess I'm just good at the tests, sir."

"Uh huh. Well, I feel better about you doing both schools this summer. I'm impressed by your initiative. Ahh, here's our food."

The waitress had brought their appetizers and salads. Buffy and Colonel O'Neill agreed to share their appetizers, splitting each down the middle. Buffy could barely suppress sighs of pleasure as she chowed down on cheesy, melty nachos and cheesy, bacony fried potatoes. The potatoes even had sour cream on them, while jalapeños topped the nachos. Buffy alternated sips of her ice tea, barely able to get her hand around the huge glass. I wonder why they bring tea in quart-size glasses only in steakhouses, Buffy wondered absently. As far as she was concerned, every restaurant should do the same.

Jack paused a moment and watched Summers eat. My God, he thought, I can't believe how much food she can tuck away as she devoured yet another nacho. So far, he figured she'd eaten about two thirds of the two appetizers versus his one third. And she still had over a pound of sirloin coming as well as a baked potato. Not to mention they were on their second loaf of bread, he thought, watching as Buffy cut off another large slice and liberally buttered it.

Jack decided it was time to mention Kinsey. He'd been thinking about the situation for some time, and figured he needed to clarify Cadet Summers' status. "So, Summers, I heard you applied late. I was curious how you got in."

Buffy froze for a second then focused on acting normally. Luckily the large bite of buttered bread she'd just taken gave her several seconds to think. After a moment, she swallowed. "Sir, I asked my Congressional sponsor, Senator Kinsey, for help. He was able to provide assistance in getting in despite the late entry date."

"What did you think of the senator?"

Buffy was figuring that whatever Colonel O'Neill was after, it wasn't about her past or any irregularities in how she'd made it in. He was interested in Senator Kinsey. Unfortunately, she was going to have to disappoint him, having never met the senator. "I'm sorry, sir, but I never met Senator Kinsey. I spoke with him over the phone and a nice man from his office interviewed me. But the senator was in DC at the time, so we couldn't meet personally. From my own experience with him, he was very helpful."

Jack was both elated and disappointed. Elated that Buffy wasn't a spy, at least as far as he knew. Disappointed because she hadn't been able to provide him any intel on Kinsey. Ever since the senator had tried to shut the SGC down, he had made Jack's short list of people for whom he had no love. Jack decided he needed to be ready if or when the good senator came back after the SGC.

"My mom didn't vote for him." Buffy blurted out the last, obviously interrupting Colonel O'Neill's thoughts from the puzzled expression on his face.

Jack figured out what Buffy had said and held back a grin. "She didn't?"

"No, sir. She thought he was 'a slimy, jumped-up toad.'"

Jack laughed out loud, startling the nearby diners and getting all-new interested looks from his team. "Your mother seems like a great judge of character."

"I told her about you, sir."

Jack wore a quizzical look as he asked, "What did you say? Something good, I hope?" 

"Yes, sir. I told her about you wanting to help guide my career. She was cool about it, sir."

"I see. So, Cadet, what does your mother do?" Jack asked the obligatory question out of politeness.

"Sir, she owns an antique shop in Colorado Springs, 'Joyce's Antiques.'"

"Colorado Springs? I thought you were from California."

Buffy's eyes grew sad. "I am, sir. My mom sold off our house and her shop after what happened at graduation. She decided that the town held too many bad memories to stay. Plus that way I could come home for all holidays and some weekends."

Jack thought it a little odd for Summers' mother to follow her across the country, but shrugged it off. He'd seen odder things since joining the Air Force. "There's yet another reason to work at the Mountain. Your mom would be just a few minutes away." He wore a 'butter wouldn't melt in your mouth' expression as he said this last.

Buffy eyed Colonel O'Neill suspiciously. Yes, he had just gone there. Did he think she was so easily manipulated? Even if he did, she shouldn't say anything. After all, he was a colonel, while she was a smack. Smack = Soldiers Minus Aptitude, Coordination, and Knowledge. And the sound shit made when it hit a wall. Buffy smiled as she contemplated the gross analogy.

Jack smiled at Summers' expression. He knew she knew he was manipulating her, but didn't care. If it worked, it was cool. If it didn't, it was minimal effort. And there were the entrees. Jack looked over his medium-rare smoked sirloin appreciatively. It had that salty, peppery stuff on the outside that made it taste extra good. He cut off a piece. It was every bit as good as it looked. From the ever-so-faint moaning noise Cadet Summers made, she agreed. The baked potato was equally good, loaded down with butter, cheese, bacon, sour cream, and chives. Jack mashed his up, mixing all of the ingredients inside the skin, before taking a bite. Yep, he thought, delicious.

All too soon the food was gone, leaving Jack feeling more than replete. He watched Summers finish off the last half of yet another loaf of bread loaded with butter as she waited for desert, some kind of double-fudge brownie covered in Jack Daniels sauce. It had sounded good, but if he ate anything else, he'd puke. The loaf of bread slowly disappeared, consumed bite by bite. Okay, Jack thought, Summers is definitely an alien. No one, not even a smack missing home-cooked meals, can eat that much. Especially if they weigh barely a hundred pounds.

Buffy was aware of Colonel O'Neill's gaze as she finished off the last of the bread. She hadn't been that hungry, but hated to see it go to waste. Besides it was so good. She turned an inquisitive look his way. He was obviously going to speak.

"Cadet Summers, I would like to officially become your officer sponsor, effective today, with the idea of you working for me upon graduation in my command in Cheyenne Mountain. Towards that end, I wanted to recommend you take Space Operations as your major. That will help prepare you for your duties. In approximately eithteen months or so, during your Second-Class Summer, I would like you to take a turn in the Mountain, working on one of the upper floors in logistics. You'll need your SECRET clearance to work there so we'll start the process early next Fall to make sure you clear in time. First-Class summer, I want you to do a full turn in the main part of the base, working in operations. You'll need your TOP SECRET clearance. If you apply fall of your third year, that should be plenty of time to get it. In the mean-time, I want to meet with you every month so you can update me on your classes and bring me up to speed on any challenges you taken on. I'll also answer any questions you might have. I'll be making suggestions periodically regarding any classes I think you should take, especially among the electives. Do you have any questions about what I've just outlined?" Jack enjoyed the flabbergasted look Cadet Summers wore as he basically made her an unheard-of offer. She was unlikely to believe he was serious, especially not understanding just how much carte blanche he had as a member of the SGC, leading SG-1.

"Sir, I'm flattered. Very much so. But I do not understand how you can make me this offer. My understanding of the way the system works is that I have to put in my preferences for what I would like upon graduation and if I'm very, very lucky, I might get my second or third choice. But you're saying you can guarantee my being assigned to the Mountain. I do not understand how that is possible."

"Is there a question in all of that?" Jack asked jokingly. "The thing is, Cadet Summers, that I do have some clout with the Powers That Be, especially when it comes to recruitment. I don't use it very often, but it's there. I believe you will be a great asset to my team. Don't think though that I won't bounce you in a heartbeat if you get lazy or don't put in the effort. But you work hard and follow my plan, and I'll get you in. How does that sound?"

Buffy hesitated for one second. This must be Whistler's doing, she thought, ignoring the fact that he'd said that at best he could give a nudge here or there. The idea that it could be Cadet Buffy Summers who so impressed a full bird colonel that he offered to do whatever was necessary to get her on his team was anathema to her. Well, if the real Powers That Be want me in Cheyenne Mountain, Buffy thought idly, then that's where I'll go. "That sounds great, Colonel O'Neill, sir. I look forward to having you as my officer sponsor. I also look forward to working with you up in the Mountain. Thank you very much for this opportunity. I will not disappoint you, sir."

"I'm sure you won't. Now is there anything I can help you with or answer for you before you dig into that sinful concoction the waitress is about to drop off at our table?"

Buffy hesitated, thinking about asking him for his advice on the situation with Cadet Merryman. Ultimately, she decided not to. Buffy knew she had to learn to handle difficulties using just herself and whatever resources she had. With Connie on her team, helping her out, Buffy was confident she could deal with Merryman and his mystery friend. They would both be going down in flames. "No sir, I do not have any questions." With that, she started in on her desert. Unfortunately, it didn't have nearly the taste it should have, especially with her mind so distracted by the bombshell that had been dropped on the table.

Jack noticed her hesitation, minor as it was. Well, he thought, if whatever she's thinking about becomes big enough, she'll come talk to me. It was probably just a personality conflict of some kind. The Zoo was notorious for those, some officers almost coming to blows years later over problems that started there. It was still one of the best ways to separate the wheat from the chaff and in the majority, produced superior officers. There were always a few scumbags that made it through, but they were the minority, most leaving the Air Force after their mandatory hitch.

"Okay, then, finish up your desert and I'll give you your assignment to turn in next month when we meet." Jack ignored the momentarily horrified look that appeared on her face before she schooled it to attentive interest. He knew the idea of more assigned work on top of what she was already doing wouldn't be taken kindly. But he had a plan for what Summers needed to do to gain the skills that would best serve the SGC. She would just have to suck it up.

Buffy hurriedly ate her desert, aware of the aforementioned assignment hanging over her head like the sword of Damocles. More work. Yay, she thought sarcastically, already regretting taking Colonel O'Neill up on his offer. Oh well, how bad could one assignment be?


	10. Chapter Ten—The Assignment

**Chapter Ten—The Assignment**

Buffy jauntily walked into her room. She'd somehow made it all the way from the Visitor's Center where Colonel O'Neill had dropped her off to her room without running into a single upperclassman. How cool was that? Now, however, she was in for one hell of an inquisition, based upon the look on Connie's face. 

"Spill, Cali. What did Colonel Secret Agent want?" Connie's eyes glinted with amusement at the put-upon expression on her roommate's face. Did Cali seriously think she could have dinner with a high ranking officer and not get the third degree, Connie wondered?

"Colonel Huh? Oh, I get it. Ha, ha. I wonder if I'm supposed to discuss it. I mean, can you be trusted with such information..." Buffy's words trailed off as she was hit by a flying pillow. Grinning, she grabbed her desk chair and moved it across to where Connie lay stretched out on her bed, straddling it. "Okay, now where was I?"

"You were being hopelessly pompous. Now dish."

"He offered to be my officer sponsor for now until after I graduate, when I'll be assigned to work under his command in Cheyenne Mountain." Buffy stopped at this point, the words still too new to be real. And because Connie was having a conniption.

"He WHAT?!" Connie shrieked, bolting upright on her bed. She stared in absolute astonishment at Cali. I can't believe this, she thought. No officer would do this for a smack. It just wasn't done. Although, if any smack deserved this kind of recognition, it would be Cali Summers. Connie was once again aware of just how good her roommate was. She silently vowed to do her best to become if not Cali's equal, at least the best she could be.

Buffy finally continued, somewhat self-conscious about her news. "I know. You could have whacked me with a sledgehammer. I was _that_ surprised." Buffy caught the odd look Connie wore at that comparison, but ignored it and continued, "Anyway, he seemed sincere. Colonel O'Neill talked with me about my major, letting me know what would work best with his command."

"Wow. What are you going to major in?" Connie knew Cali was focused on something to do with space, while her own specialty was Systems Management. The closest she would ever get to space would be if she ended up doing an audit of something headed that way.

"Space Operations. The Colonel pretty much decided for me when he 'recommended' I take it to prepare myself for joining his command. He also wants me to get my SECRET clearance next year so that I can spend second-year summer at Cheyenne Mountain in the upper levels. Then he wants me to get my TOP SECRET after that and join his actual command down in the Mountain itself my last summer here." Buffy was conscious of Connie's stare. The last thing she wanted was to draw the taller girl's jealousy. Hopefully she didn't feel that way, but still it worried Buffy.

Connie silently whistled. "He's got it all figured out. What about flying? I know you were talking about getting your wings in fighters. That still on?"

Buffy frowned. "Well, not immediately. But I could take flight training after a couple of years at the Mountain. I'm sure Colonel O'Neill would sign off on it."

"Damn, Cali. Sounds like you got it made." Connie noticed the slight tightening of Cali's mouth. Something wasn't good, no matter how rosy this all sounded, she thought. "What's is it? You don't have it made?"

Buffy sighed. "Well, there's a catch."

"What catch?"

"Colonel O'Neill assigned me homework."

"He did?"

"Yes. I have to write a report. And not a short one. Fifty pages worth."

"Holy shit! Fifty pages? On what?" 

"Reasons Behind The Fall Of The Roman Empire: From A Citizen Of The Empire's Point Of View." Buffy quoted from the sheet Colonel O'Neill handed her at the end of dinner.

"Reasons behind... okay, I'm not even going to try to repeat that. You aren't kidding, are you?"

"Nope."

Connie shook her head. "Damn, Cali. That's going to be a killer. Well, at least it's just one report." At Cali's silent shake of her head, Connie asked, "It's not just one report?"

Buffy shuddered. "I have to write one report a _month_ for him. Every month. For this one, I have to read like four books. That's on top of what I'm already doing. Maybe Colonel O'Neill is a closet sadist."

Connie snorted. "All superior officers are sadists. I can't believe you have to write a report every month. That's like-"

Buffy held up her hand in a gesture to stop. "Don't. If you finish that sentence and there's some number in it that I have to think about, I'll probably have to hurt you. The less I think about it, the less I'll despair."

"I wonder why ancient Rome? I mean of all the things he could've assigned, that's gotta be about as unlikely as snow in Miami. You know?" 

"Yeah, I do. But still it's there. Besides, it once snowed in my home town of Sunnydale."

"Cali?"

"Yes?"

"Sunnydale's like a couple of hours north of LA, right?"

"Yep."

"How could it have snowed there?"

"Freak weather conditions. They never figured out what happened."

"Ooookay." Connie decided to change the subject. "So have you given anymore thought about what to do about Lloyd Merryman and John Sheridan?"

"John who?" If John Sheridan was who Buffy thought he was...

"I finally figured out where I'd heard that voice. 'Sher' is John Sheridan. Ranked number one academically in his class."

Buffy chewed her lower lip as she digested the news. That could actually work out to her advantage. "That's fine."

"It is?"

"Yep. Connie, what are the two things that the Air Force doesn't tolerate?"

"Insubordination? And, mmm..." Connie was struggling to come up with another item in her impromptu pop quiz.

"Cheating." Buffy supplied.

Connie frowned. "Cali, you aren't that naïve. They put up with all kinds of crap. Harassment. Cheating. You name it. As long as you don't get caught."

"What if you did? What if you got caught cheating? And that was why you were doing so well?"

"Maybe. They might just hush it up. Especially if the potential officer was considered solid, otherwise. Do you seriously think Sheridan and Merryman are cheating?"

"Maybe. That's what we need to find out. Also, what if the potential officer was gay? _And_ a cheat? Would they hush that up?"

Connie's eyes gleamed. "No, they wouldn't. Butch, are you proposing that we trump up a hypothetical gay romance between our two rapists?"

"Why, Sundance, that is exactly what I'm proposing. The thing is, neither of these alone would be enough to get them automatically booted. They would have a terrible time in the modern-day Air Force if it were discovered that they were carrying on an illicit romance between the two of them. And if it was discovered that they were cheating..."

"The Powers would be happy as larks to use that to kick them to the curb." Connie grinned, just thinking about the humiliation of their prey.

"Exactly." Buffy's smile was fierce and merciless as she contemplated the end of those two jerks.

"How are we going to find out? It's not as if we can just get into their offices and dorm room, you know." Connie felt a cold feeling in gut at Cali's level look. "Shit! Cali! Do you seriously mean to search their _rooms_? What if you get caught?"

Buffy smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Connie, I won't get caught. I'll be in and out lickety split. They'll never know I was there. And if I'm successful, we'll have part of the evidence to get rid of those two."

Connie nodded, despite the uneasiness she felt. I really hope nothing goes wrong, she thought...

_Eight days later..._

Buffy hurried along, worried about being late for class. The last thing she wanted to get was a demerit and lose the privilege of going home for Thanksgiving the day after tomorrow. She smiled as she contemplated the huge dinner Joyce was planning, even if it was just going to be the three of them, Buffy having invited Connie along at the last moment. Buffy was feeling pretty good about her plan to get Merryman and Sheridan before they got her. When she'd first told Connie about her plan, it had been all bravado despite whatever Connie might have believed. But over time, the plan had firmed up. Connie had done the first step the past weekend. While Buffy had stayed in the home, cleaning and polishing for the both of them, Connie had gotten a ride into town. While there, she'd managed to get into the most notorious gay bar in Colorado Springs, Hide-n-Seek. She'd grabbed several match books as well as a menu, basically anything that had their name printed on it.

Buffy planned to plant the stuff in the room the two first-class cadets just happened to share. Buffy figured that when she went to search their room for evidence of possible cheating, she would kill two birds with one stone and plant the gay evidence. If for some reason, she was unable to get into their room to search it, she did have one other avenue to accomplish the job. Buffy was very reluctant to go that route though. The last thing Buffy wanted to do was to use Sher's attraction to her to plant the stuff. She would do it if she had to. It wasn't as if she didn't have the ability to manipulate men. She had been practically born with the ability. First her father, Hank, then later boys like Pike and Xander, and finally men, like Angel and even Giles were putty in her hands. But the idea of using her sexuality to manipulate a rapist like Sheridan left a bad taste in her mouth, despite the dark irony involved. Besides even Buffy might be helpless if she somehow let the bastard drug her, like a certain group of frat boys had done to her back in high school.

Of course, if she found GHB, rohypnol, or ketamine in their room, she had other options, from involving the military police to using them to drug the boys themselves, stripping them, and taking pictures of them in compromising positions. Still, Buffy figured that the cheating was the best avenue to explore right now. It was entirely possible that John Sheridan was actually that smart, while still being a disgusting human being. But in her mind, the two didn't mesh. After all, it wasn't merely intelligence that got you the top spot in your class, but instead determination, dedication, and sheer grit. Everybody in the Zoo was smart. But only one could be the top of their class. Buffy somehow doubted that Sher was that dedicated, based on his after-hours hijinks. And as far as Lloyd Merryman was concerned, Buffy figured that he did the least he had to in order to get by, making cheating a distinct possibility. And even there, he probably wasn't dedicated enough to memorize the tests, giving himself a higher class rank. Irregardless, Buffy was going to find out the week after Thanksgiving whatever lay in their room.

_Colorado Springs, CO..._

Joyce smiled as she took the last two pies out of the oven. Now all she had left to bake were a hundred or so peanut butter cookies made using chunky peanut butter, Buffy's favorite. Setting the pecan pies down next to the two pumpkin and two cherry pies she'd already made, Joyce hoped that Buffy had fully recovered from that time when at age twelve, she'd eaten an entire pecan pie, formerly her favorite. After spending the next six hours worshiping at the porcelain altar, Buffy had sworn off pecan pie forever, saying it didn't taste nearly as good coming up as going down. Joyce had decided that enough time had passed that Buffy should be recovered from her pie trauma and ready to eat pecans again. Besides, Joyce told herself, she made one darn good pecan pie.

Joyce mentally went over the list that she'd made up of for the dinner. Turkey was a given, as was the dressing made from corn bread. Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, fresh peas, giblet gravy, and cranberry sauce made from real cranberries would all be at the table. Joyce was even making fresh yeast rolls, shamelessly spoiling Buffy. Besides, Buffy was bringing a guest, her roommate, Connie, who Joyce had briefly met during Parents' Weekend. Apparently, Connie could not afford to go home for Thanksgiving, given that she had to fly all the way to Miami, so had planned to spend it on base. When Joyce had heard that, she'd told Buffy to invite her along. It wasn't as if there wouldn't be enough food, even with Buffy's slayer appetite. Not even Buffy could eat a twenty-two pound turkey, a gallon of smashed potatoes, two gallons of dressing, a half gallon of sweet potatoes, forty fresh yeast rolls, six pies, and over one hundred peanut butter cookies in a couple of days.

Joyce was really looking forward to catching up with Buffy after her meeting with Colonel O'Neill. Buffy had briefly alluded to it during their Sunday phone call, but hadn't gone into any details. Still, Joyce had sensed her repressed excitement over the phone. Smiling wryly, Joyce sternly repressed her brief flash of jealousy. Buffy had always needed a strong male figure in her life, even more so than most teenagers. It was only after Joyce had found out about her calling that she'd realized why. After her first angry reaction to being fooled for so long, Joyce had actually been thankful for Rupert Giles' presence in Buffy's life. Without a doubt, he'd kept Buffy alive during the two and a half years he'd been her watcher.

Joyce hummed as she started placing peanut butter cookie dough onto baking sheets. After this, she just had to start the actual dinner itself...

_The Zoo, the next day..._

Excited, Buffy grabbed Connie's arm as she saw Joyce's Jeep Grand Cherokee heading towards the parking lot. "There's Mom! Grab your stuff!"

Connie surreptitiously flexed her fingers after Buffy released her arm. Damn, but Cali was strong, she thought. And how had she seen her mother's SUV so far away? Connie reached down and grabbed her duffel, carefully packed with Connie's few civilian clothes. It was going to be weird wearing civvies after going so long in uniform. Cali had laughed and said she was going to wear the shortest skirt she had in her closet. Connie figured that would last until Cali got her first icy draft then she'd be back to wearing jeans.

Joyce pulled up next to the curb where the two girls waited. "Ready to go, ladies?" After receiving two affirmatives and giving the girls a moment to put their bags into the back, Joyce pulled away, heading back towards Colorado Springs.

Connie decided to go ahead and get the thank you's out of the way. "I just wanted to say thanks so much for inviting me for Thanksgiving, Mrs. Summers. I really appreciate it. I was not looking forward to the horrors of dining hall turkey."

Joyce laughed. "I can see how home-cooked would be better. Although Buffy seems to like the food well enough."

Buffy put on her most piteous expression, which Connie could see from the back seat. "The food is okay, Mom. But I really miss your cookies and pies. It's just not the same."

Connie grinned from the back seat. "Wow, Cali, if you could bottle that expression, you could be rich. Did it work often in getting your way?"

Joyce smiled, but with a slightly flinty look in her eyes. "Let's just say it worked a _lot_ better on men than women. Hank became Captain Waffler every time Buffy pouted. At least until right before the divorce."

Buffy frowned, remembering the fights and her father's descent into unreasonableness. Shaking her head, she decided to put it behind her. "Well, at least Giles wasn't pout-proof. Or Xander."

"I haven't heard you mention them before, Cali. Who are Giles and Xander?" Connie became conscious of an awkward silence after she asked her question. Maybe I shouldn't have asked, she thought, feeling the depth of the silence she'd created, but finally Cali broke it.

"Giles was my high school librarian, kinda a mentor to me. He was killed in the explosion. Xander... well, Xander was Xander. He was this amazing guy who had the biggest heart. He was my first friend in Sunnydale and we went through a lot together. He also died that day." Buffy shook her head at Connie's stricken expression. "Don't sweat it, Connie. I can't ignore the past. I'm not going to forget those guys or Willow. But I'm not going to sit in the dark eating ice cream and miss them either. They'll always have a place in my heart."

Connie shook her head. "That's one of the things I admire about you, Cali. You seem so indomitable. You know exactly what you want and go after it. I wish I were like that-" Connie stopped, puzzled as the two women in the front of the SUV burst into laughter. After a moment, she continued, "Okay, obviously I said something funny. Anyone care to clue me in?"

Buffy turned and looked back at her roomie affectionately. "Sorry about that, Connie. If only you knew me in the past. I used to be this bubble-headed cheerleader whose only thoughts were about boys and clothes and not necessarily in that order. You would have hated that girl."

"So what made you change?" As soon as Connie asked her question, she knew it was another charged topic. Joyce's posture as she sat in the driver's seat betrayed an underlying tenseness. But it was Cali who claimed Connie's attention. Cali whose eyes looked like those of the grizzled noncom who had helped recruit Connie. Old eyes. Eyes that had seen too many horrors, until what they had seen spilled out into the real world in images of death and destruction. I'm being silly, Connie told herself, but Cali's eyes told a far different story than a blonde cheerleader and prom princess. Was it the horrors of her graduation or the stresses of her participation in the _Take Back The Night Program_? By her own admission, she was getting over the graduation thing. What lay in Cali's past that was so horrific, that her eyes looked so cold and bleak?

Buffy was aware of the way the atmosphere in the SUV had become tense, but felt unable to dispel it. Or more accurately, unwilling to do so. She felt like she'd been putting on an act for months now and was unwilling to tell a joke or act the ditz just to put someone else at ease. Besides, Connie should have known better. One of the first ground rules they'd established when they first became roommates had been don't ask questions. Buffy had jokingly told Connie that right after they met. Of course, like so many things told jokingly, it wasn't really a joke, but deadly serious. And Connie had taken it the way Buffy had meant it and kept away from personal questions for the most part. Until now. Until they had arrived at a setting comfortable enough that she'd forgotten. Now let her pay the price. Silently Buffy turned back to the stare out the front of the vehicle, leaving Joyce to pick up the threads of conversation if she wanted.

Joyce managed small talk with Connie during the remainder of the drive. She could sense the burning curiosity of the girl. Curiosity Connie must have ruthlessly repressed while rooming with her daughter. The same daughter than Joyce wanted to put over her knee and spank. Joyce knew that talking about the destiny that she'd been forced to embrace bothered Buffy, but sooner or later she needed to, as Cordelia had once put it, "Get over it." Instead, Buffy tended to shut down, her version of moping. Well, unfortunately, you couldn't spank your all-but-grown daughter, but you could have a serious talk with her, which Joyce planned for later.

"So here we are. Buffy, if you would take Connie upstairs and get her settled in the guest room." Joyce waited a moment for Buffy's nod before heading towards the kitchen to do one final check of her baked goods.

Somewhat recovered, Buffy smiled at Connie then gestured towards the stairs, visible through an arched doorway. Buffy followed as Connie headed towards, then up the stairs. Buffy hoped she still remembered where her bedroom was. She and Joyce had only been in the house about a month when Buffy had left for BCT. Nothing really felt familiar, not like their home on Revello Drive. Fortunately, Buffy found that even four months wasn't long enough to forget how to find her way around as she easily pointed Connie to the last door on the left, which lead to the guest bedroom. Her own bedroom lay one door closer to the stairs. Essentially both rooms were identical, minus their contents. She left Connie there to settle in while she headed back downstairs.

Connie surveyed the room she was going to be spending the next four days sleeping in. While the rest of the house appeared to be beautifully furnished with a nice mix of antiques and modern furnishings, her room was a bit on the generic side. Still, it beat her dorm room. At least she had her own bathroom, Connie thought, spying the shower stall through the half open door.

Connie headed back downstairs, following the scent of delicious food. She heard Cali and Joyce talking and paused for a moment at the door.

"...and he's giving me an assignment a month. Nasty ones too. At least the first one was. And it was about the Romans. Weird, huh? I've been wondering if it doesn't have something to do with..."

Connie heard Cali's voice tail off, just when it was getting interesting. She entered the room, glancing briefly at Cali, who looked innocently back. Weird. There was no way that Cali could have heard her standing at the doorway, yet Connie still got the impression that she'd stopped because she knew someone was listening.

Buffy focused on the food in front of her. They were going to have roast beef sandwiches tonight as a simple meal before tucking into the huge turkey dinner tomorrow. Buffy actually wished she could eat turkey tonight, but at least Joyce was letting her eat some pie. Although it was the dreaded pecan pie. Not that it appeared to be a problem anymore from the way her mouth was salivating at the smell of the baked pies on the sideboard. It was amazing what the years could do with bad memories.

Buffy had been talking to Joyce about the assignment that Colonel O'Neill had given her. She was just about to share her insight into why she thought the colonel gave her an assignment with an emphasis on ancient cultures when she'd become aware of Connie listening in. Buffy wasn't too sure that inviting Connie to stay for the holidays was the smartest thing she'd done. She had been looking forward to letting down her hair and not having to hide her abilities for the first time in months. Now she had to continue to act normal. Whatever that was.

Joyce was very aware of the subtext in the room. Connie appeared intensely interested in her daughter, her curiosity an almost palpable force. Combined with Buffy's poor history at hiding her so-called "secret" identity, Joyce was surprised she didn't already know Buffy was the Slayer. Connie probably did know that Buffy was special based upon her frequent compliments. Joyce almost wished that Buffy would just confide in the girl, but she understood why she didn't after what had happened to the last group who'd known. Hopefully, there would come a time in the future when the trust between the two girls would overcome Buffy's painful memories.

"Okay, Connie, if you'll grab the plates and silverware and Buffy, if you'll grab the condiments and the salad, we can go ahead and have dinner." 

_Later that evening..._

Buffy slept in her room among her stuffed animals. The dream slowly wormed its way into her subconscious...

_Buffy watched the dark-haired girl tenderly kiss the blonde girl, before the allowing her shy partner to duck her head again. There were several people in the room, including an older man, dressed in tweed, who screamed Watcher, a somewhat scruffy-looking man in his late twenties, a blond boy who appeared to be in his late teens, and from the way he was dressed, a complete nerd, a sharp-featured young man who looked very intelligent, and a young woman who looked familiar. Then Buffy recognized Anya, the former vengeance demon, who had given them so much trouble last year. The group was carrying on a subdued discussion, but Buffy did not hear anything, the scene presenting itself like a silent movie. But she didn't need sound to feel the tension in the room, the desperation in the way each person sat, dejection coloring their features. Something bad was coming..._

Buffy woke up with a start. Breathing heavily, she lay there a moment before breaking into a string of curses that would have impressed her classmates to no end. I really, really hate the Powers, Buffy thought, trying to figure out the significance of the dream. She had to talk with her mom about this, which meant getting away from Connie, at least for a little while. Maybe she'll pig out on turkey and the triptophan will get her, Buffy thought hopefully.


	11. Chapter Eleven—Thanksgiving

**Chapter Eleven—Thanksgiving **

**Bam! Bam! Bam!**

Groggily, Connie raised her head. What the fuck? It took her a moment to remember where she was. Then looking around, she realized she was staying at Cali's house. Connie glanced at the clock on the side table, realizing it was only 7:00 am. She'd planned to sleep way late after staying up until 2300 hours last night chatting with Cali.

**Bam! Bam! Bam!**

This time the sound was accompanied by a voice. "Connie? You up?"

"I am now," Connie muttered as she swung her legs off the edge of the bed. At least the room was nice and toasty. Just then the door opened and a blonde head, minus the rest, moved into view.

"You are up. Breakfast in thirty minutes."

Connie stared at Cali, who wore a slightly guilty expression. Well she should, Connie thought grumpily, waking me up so early on my first true day off since going through BCT. Then she forgot about being irritated as the rest of Cali came into view. She was wearing an extremely short leopard-print mini-dress. It came to much higher than mid-thigh and Connie wondered where Cali had worn it before. And when. Belatedly, she realized that Cali was waiting for her to answer by the patient expression on her face.

"Oh, okay, sure. Breakfast."

"Nice and coherent, I see. And you got to sleep in an extra hour and a half."

Connie smiled slightly at Cali's teasing tone, but decided to get some of her own back. "An hour and a half is not sleeping in. And what are you wearing?"

Connie watched as Cali spread her hands in a "What? This?" gesture, before replying, "I did say I was going to wear something short. I had to dig this up from the back of my closet. I don't think I've worn it since junior year."

Connie stared. "You wore _that_ to school? And didn't get sent home?"

"Yep. Nope. Everyone wore short dresses there. It's not as if this is the shortest thing in my closet."

"It's not?"

"I actually have a skirt that's not only shorter, but has a slit up the side."

Connie was a bit surprised. While Cali had shown her girly side a few times at the Zoo, it was odd talking to her about this stuff when usually she was so focused on school or training. And how could a skirt be any shorter? "I won't ask how the boys reacted, cause I'm sure it was funny. You probably had to beat them off with a stick." Connie wondered what she'd said to prompt the odd look that briefly flitted across Cali's face, but then mentally shrugged. She couldn't spend the entire weekend spending every moment worrying about what she said or it was going to be quite a chore to get through the few days. Better to just say whatever and apologize if she stepped on any land mines.

"Something like that. I'll leave you so you can grab a shower. Yell if you need anything."

With that, Cali exited. Connie wasted no time grabbing her shampoo and hitting the shower. Hot water was exactly what she needed to chase away the last cobwebs that colored her thoughts.

_Thirty minutes later..._

Connie stepped lightly down the stairs as she headed towards the sound of voices emanating from the kitchen. She was curious to see if she could hear anything that Buffy and Joyce discussed before she came in. But the conversation ceased right before she got close enough to actually make out anything. When she walked through the door, Connie definitely had the impression that Buffy and Joyce knew she was approaching. There was something in the way that they held themselves that indicated they were trying to be casual. With a small inward frown, Connie seated herself at the breakfast table, already loaded with dishes holding bacon, eggs, fried potatoes, sausages, toast and a large container of orange juice.

"Good morning. Wow, I hope you didn't do all of this for me. I don't usually eat a big breakfast." It was a lot of food for three women to consume, especially on a day when a large Thanksgiving dinner loomed just over the horizon. Well, at least I don't have to worry about getting fat, Connie thought, for once finding a reason to actually like PT. Even if, now that it was getting cold, it was going to be even more Hellish.

"I don't either, but I knew Buffy would be hungry, so I whipped up a little something to last until Thanksgiving dinner. We'll be having that at two." Joyce seemed full of energy as she whizzed around the kitchen, putting finishing touches on the various breakfasty foods there.

"Well, it all looks great." With that, Connie grabbed a couple of pieces of toast, a couple of strips of bacon, and a small serving of scrambled eggs.

Connie sat slowly munching her way through the food, allowing the conversation between the other two women to wash over her. It was mostly lighthearted and casual, and not even remotely enlightening. Connie took another sip of her orange juice then made a realization. Over half the food on the table was gone and Cali had eaten it! Okay, maybe she was wrong and Joyce had eaten more than she thought. Connie went back and mentally reviewed who ate what. She quickly realized that Cali was eating deceptively fast, while more than carrying on her side of the conversation. Connie watched as Cali filled her plate again, which was probably the fourth time she'd done so. Then Cali devoured everything on it. It made Connie's stomach hurt just watching her.

It was funny, but when she thought about it, Connie realized that Cali ate a lot every meal. During breakfast and lunch, because they ate in formation, everyone had a set amount of food for the most part, although you could get extra if you asked. But smacks didn't ask, not if they knew what was good for them. Cali I_always_/I cleaned her plate though. And snacked on power bars throughout the day as well.

But Cali ate a lot during dinner. It was during dinner that you could really fill up since there was not a set time for eating, instead dinner ranged from seventeen hundred hours to nineteen fifty hours. You could go back and get as much as you wanted or even eat a variety. Thinking back, Connie realized that every time she'd eaten dinner with her, Cali had gone back for extras at least two times. Once she'd commented on it and Cali had said she was extra hungry from all of the running that day. Which made sense. Still, overall, Cali ate way more than most people. Maybe she's an alien in disguise, Connie thought in amusement, as she watched Cali finish off the last of the toast, liberally coating it with red plum preserves. Yeah, right, an alien who just happens to be from California, and who has a great mom.

"Did you want anything else, Connie?" Joyce's polite tones broke into Connie's thoughts. Guiltily, she shook her head no. She watched as Cali pushed back from the table with a smile.

"Mom, that was great. I really missed your cooking. The Zoo food is..."

Connie snarked, "Actually pretty good?" She grinned at the glare Cali sent her way, which prompted it to change to a rueful smile.

"Okay, it _is_ pretty good. But still, it's not home-cooked. When you cook so much food at a time, it loses something in the process."

Connie nodded thoughtfully at what Cali had said. It was true that food was better in family-size portions, although maybe that was just the company. "It's a good thing too, or you would bankrupt the Air Force, eating like that every day." Connie decided that commenting on how much Cali had eaten was safe. Plus she wanted to see what Cali said.

"Like you're not going to pig out when you get home to Miami, Miss Pulled Pork Sandwich."

Connie acknowledged the shot with a smile. So Cali had deflected her again. Big surprise. Although Connie had talked about those delectable sandwiches from Eduardo's since BCT.

"So you want to go up to my room and hang out for a while?"

"Sure thing. You can show me the infamous even shorter skirt you have." Actually, Connie dreaded the thought of a fashion show. Hopefully, they would just chat again, like they'd done last night.

"Not only will I show you that one, but you've got to see this one outfit I have."

As they trooped upstairs, Connie wanted to tell Cali that wearing a skirt that short was not a good thing around stairs. But she rather suspected that Cali already knew that and didn't care.

As they walked into Cali's room, Connie was immediately struck by two things. First, was the sheer number of pictures on the walls of the room. Second, was the cage that sat on a table by the window. Inside was a medium-sized rat.

"He's cute. What's his name?"

Cali looked somewhat sadly at the rat. "Her name's Amy. And she was... err, is cute. She is the cutest."

Puzzled, Connie looked at the rat. Weird name, she thought absently. I mean, who names their rat Amy?

_Three hours later..._

Connie stifled a yawn as she sat next to Cali looking through another family photo album. After being introduced to Amy, they had gone through Cali's closet in search of the infamous skirt. It had taken a while, but they'd finally found it stuffed way in the back. The reason it had taken so long was because of just how many clothes Cali had. Connie thought her entire wardrobe could fit in one small corner of Cali's closet. Cali had at least fifteen times as many clothes as she did. And the same number of shoes. There were at least eighty pairs of shoes in her closet, versus the six pairs that Connie owned. How could you even keep track of this much stuff, let alone wear it, Connie wondered for the umpteenth time.

The clothes were probably the single most dramatic illustration of how different the lives of the two girls had been. Connie had grown up in a working class neighborhood with a dad who worked in the dockyards as a crane operator. Her mom had taken off when Connie was three, leaving her and her four siblings with their father. Connie barely remembered her. Fortunately, her dad was this amazingly strong person. Somehow he had kept things on track and had ultimately graduated all five of his kids from high school. Three of them had attended college, including Connie, who was the baby of the family. If she graduated, it would make three college graduates in the family. Not bad for a bunch of Cuba-lingas.

Back to the clothes. Connie'd had a very limited wardrobe growing up, consisting mostly of jeans and t-shirts, with the occasional cheap dress or skirt bought at Wal-Mart thrown in. She'd worked six months to get the money to buy the dress she wore to the prom. Luckily, Connie had always been tall, slim, and athletic, making even the cheap clothes she had to wear look good. Despite this, she had gotten her share of teasing from classmates with enough money to stay on the edge of fashion. One reason that Connie had decided on the military was because at least with uniforms she didn't have to worry about what was trendy this year in Milan.

When Cali had gone into a running monologue as they investigated her closet, Connie had been completely lost. She had no idea why slingbacks were more fashionable than wedges or why you couldn't wear that shade of 'pumpkin' during the winter. Connie had nodded her head in all of the right places (she'd hoped so anyway).

When the barrage of fashion had finally ended, including the scandalously short skirt, she'd looked for something more innocuous to talk about and had settled on photo albums. Cali had scrambled to grab several and the two girls had seated themselves on Cali's bed and looked over pictures. It had been interesting at first, as they had initially looked over pictures of Cali's friends from Sunnydale. As each picture had come into view, she had made some fond observation about the person, the event, or both. Connie had seen her get a little misty-eyed, but overall, it seemed to be cathartic for her.

Connie had liked what she'd seen of Cali's friends from the sweet-looking red-haired girl to the goofy-looking, shaggy-haired boy. Even the one whose name Cali said was 'Oz,' seemed nice, if a bit wooden. However, a less likely group of people to be involved in a 'Take Back The Night' group, she couldn't imagine. But then Cali seemed unlikely to have done something like that also, at least based on surface appearance. It was only after you got to know her, that the true person emerged. Then it became obvious that it was something Cali would do. Her friends were probably the same. Of course, the pictures of Cali's friends had not lasted long before they had moved onto to others.

Even when they had moved to pictures of close family, like the picture Cali had of her and her cousin, Celia, taken when they were six, it had still been interesting. Of course, when Connie had innocently asked where she was these days, Cali's offhand comment that she had died in a hospital of the flu later that same year had been painful. While Cali seemed to be over it, Connie recalled something Cali'd once said about not liking hospitals when Connie had accompanied her to get the X-rays done after her big unarmed combat match. Thoughtfully, Connie considered how she would have felt in the same circumstances, and decided that a little hospital phobia wasn't exactly out of the question.

Moving back to the pictures. From Cali's near and dear, they had moved on to relatives she'd probably only seen once or twice in her entire life, if that. The lack of anything interesting to find out combined with the sheer amount of time spent on the subject, made Connie's head start to throb. You could only look through so many pictures of people you don't know before you feel like blowing your brains out, Connie thought darkly. She desperately looked around for something else to deflect Cali.

"Is that a jewelry box?" Connie thought her question a bit inane, and most likely so did Cali from her questioning look.

"Sure."

"Let's see what you have in there." Connie scrambled up, nearly knocking the album from Cali's lap, but with a graceful sweep of her hand, Cali caught it before it hit the floor. Blushing, Connie opened the large jewelry box. There were literally hundreds of pieces of jewelry inside, most of it of the costume variety. There were dozens of crosses in everything from pewter to gold which Connie found... odd, based on Cali's religious feelings. Then she noticed the earrings. At least those were something Connie could talk about as she enjoyed wearing earrings more than any other piece of jewelry. Actually, they were the _only_ pieces of jewelry she ever wore.

Connie grabbed a pair of gold studs that looked real. Glancing over at Cali, she noticed a slightly dreamy expression on the other girl's face. "Okay, spill."

Cali looked up at her. "Umm... what do you mean?"

"What's his name?" At Cali's blank look, Connie explained, "The guy who you wore these earrings for?"

Connie watched as comprehension flooded the other girl's face. Smiling, Cali said, "His name was Angel. He didn't give me these. My dad did. But, I wore them to the prom with him. I also wore that lilac dress. You know, the one you said you would look dreadful in?"

Connie grimaced. She hadn't been too diplomatic when Cali had shown her the dress in question. It was something that even she knew was completely wrong for her height and coloring. And she'd said so. Fortunately, Cali hadn't been offended, instead tucking it away in the closet without comment. Now Connie realized that it probably had tremendous sentimental value if Cali wore it to the prom. She wondered why there weren't any pictures of Angel in any of Cali's photo albums. Even Connie, as allergic to pictures as she was, had dozens from her own prom. And...

Connie stopped, suddenly distracted by something she'd just noticed. The earrings in question were for pierced ears. Stealing a glance at the girl next to her, Connie remembered what she had done for Cali shortly after BCT, when they had been allowed to wear earrings again. Connie had noted the complete lack of holes in Cali's small pink lobes at the time, and had done DIY piercings for her right there in their dormroom with nothing more than a needle and an ice cube. If Cali had worn those earrings as recently as prom, shouldn't she still have had vestigial holes still? Or at least scar tissue, Connie thought, remembering how easily the needle had slipped through Cali's lobes. Connie contemplated saying something, but decided not to. Maybe she had some of those little clip-on converters that Connie had noticed some of the older ladies who went to her church back in Miami wear. Connie looked again at the jewelry box. Every earring inside was for pierced ears. And there was no sign of the little converters. It just gets weirder and weirder, she thought.

It was with relief that Connie greeted Joyce's call to come down for Thanksgiving dinner. At least that should be normal, she thought hopefully.

_One hour later..._

Connie leaned back, stuffed to the gills. Thank God she hadn't eaten much breakfast. If she had, she wouldn't have been able to do justice to the meal that had been set before her. Connie had eaten some large family dinners back in Miami. Being second-generation Cuban-American, her father had seized upon the traditions of the country in which he had been born enthusiastically, to say the least. Every Christmas and Thanksgiving, as well as a slew of other holidays, were greeted with a feast, for which he sometimes saved up for months ahead of time. But as big as some of those dinners were, Connie had never sat down to a bigger dinner than at Buffy's house. Well, other than the larger extended family get togethers they had on a yearly basis. Although, she thought the amount of food here would be just about right for some of the smaller ones, like for twenty or so people...

To begin, the turkey was twenty-five pounds, making it one of the biggest that she'd ever seen. Then there had been all of the side dishes. A huge pan of dressing dominated the table, taking a back seat only to the turkey itself. An almost equally large pan of mashed potatoes was there as well. There was butternut squash, spinach, corn on the cob, yams, sweet peas, some kind of green bean casserole, a large vegetable salad, a fruit salad, some kind of three bean salad, cornbread, biscuits, I_and_/I homemade yeast rolls. Oh, and giblet gravy. Worse, everything was truly delicious.

At hearing Cali groan, Connie bit back a smirk. She had wondered if Cali was going to pig out as badly as she'd done at breakfast. Astonishingly, Cali had actually far surpassed her breakfast gorging. Now that she was conscious of it, Connie had been watchful as Cali had eaten helping after helping of everything on the table, while at the same time carrying on a long, convoluted conversation about Joyce's new neighbors, none of which were associated with PCP, whatever that meant. The sheer amount of food Cali had put away was frightening, especially when you considered she barely weighed a hundred pounds.

Now Cali was paying for it, however, if her expression was anything to go by. Cali looked like she was about to throw up, which based on how much she'd eaten, made it a truly frightening thought.

"Good Lord, Cali, how did you put so much away? I think you ate more than Joyce and I combined." Actually she probably ate more than twice as much as the two of us combined, Connie thought wonderingly, but decided not to make a point of it. The watchful expressions on both women's faces were alike enough that Connie knew she had scored a point. Even if she didn't know what the contest was or how she was being scored.

"Buffy's always been like that, eating way more than she should during holiday meals."

Connie decided that Joyce did a great job of damage control. Although it would have been better if Cali hadn't shouted "Mom!" right in the middle of Joyce's explanation, an expression of outrage on her face. Laughing, Connie decided to let Cali off the hook. There was plenty of time to figure out the mystery that she represented I_after_/I Thanksgiving football. Her Cowboys were playing Miami.

"So, anyone up for football? The Cowboys are playing today." At Cali's blank stare, Connie explained, "America's Team? The Dallas Cowboys?" She shook her head sadly at Cali's mystified expression.

"Connie, just how does a nice Cuban girl from Miami become a Cowboys fan? I hear a story there." Joyce's voice seemed genuinely curious as she asked the question.

Connie nodded, acknowledging Joyce's question. "Yes, it's a long, complicated story."

Buffy burst in. "Connie's dad is a Cowboys fan because he likes the uniforms. They represent freedom to him."

"Apparently not that long." Also, apparently Cali had remembered about her dad and the Cowboys from one of their conversations in their dorm room, at least Connie thought so, based on her expression. Cali's next words confirmed Connie's thought.

"See? I do know about football. So, is Miami the team with the cute little lightning bolts on their helmets? Those were my favorite."

Connie snorted in disgust. "No, that's the Chargers. Miami's helmets have those dolphins on them. Remember? I showed you all of them."

Cali shrugged as if to say "So what?" then answered, "Oh right. Now I remember. At least I know the Cowboys have those cute little horseshoes on their helmets. The horseshoes are because they ride horses, Mom. I think Miami is going to win cause dolphins are smarter than horses."

Connie started to make strangling noises, then catching the glint in Cali's eyes, realized she was making fun of her. "That's fine, tease the sports enthusiast. But one day, when I'm married and my husband's all 'Can you get me a beer, dear, so I don't miss anything?' I'll be able to tell him to get his own da... err, darn beer so that _I _don't miss anything, while you'll be trotting back and forth like a regular June Cleaver." She watched as Joyce and Cali looked at each other, then burst into laughter. Okay, I must have said something funny, Connie thought. Then Joyce explained.

"If Buffy brought her husband a beer, it would probably be burnt."

"Mo... Okay, that's fair. And if not burnt, then shook up. I don't cook. Ever. It's a personal choice. And a request by those who know me. Besides, I'm not exactly sure I'll ever get married."

"Buffy."

The sheer stress contained in the one word Joyce said surprised Connie, but not as much as the amount contained in Cali's two word reply.

"Mom, don't."

Staring at the two women and their expressions, Connie was aware of how charged the atmosphere had become. Almost instantly, things had changed from genial banter to raw emotion. Old griefs seemed to lay just under the surface, where the slightest movement would expose them to the light, to once again paint the world with shades of with anger and pain. Connie watched as Joyce hugged Cali, saying something in her ear. Meeting Joyce's eyes over Cali's head, Connie saw the mix of compassion and sadness there. Deciding she was intruding, Connie headed into the living room and turned on the game, raising the volume to drown out the voices in the other room.

Staring blindly at the television, Connie realized that she was still focused on Cali and Joyce when she finally noticed that she hadn't registered a single play in several minutes. She didn't even know who had the ball. The voices had become inaudible some time before. With a sinking feeling, Connie wondered what was going on. What had happened in the past to make Cali's innocent words so explosive? What lay between the two women?

A half hour later, Connie saw Cali come into the living room and head over to sit next to her on the couch. Cali's eyes were slightly red with the faint signs of puffiness Connie associated with crying. The smile she wore looked strained, as if it would disappear at any moment.

"Hey."

"Hey." Connie acknowledged Cali's attempt at casualness. Connie wondered if she would explain what had happened.

"Sorry about that. The whole grandchildren thing's kinda a touchy subject."

Connie noted Cali's shuttered expression. She decided to keep things light. "So, I take it you're not exactly into marriage?"

"Something like that." Cali's closed expression kept Connie from saying anything more. Then Cali asked, "Anyway, who's winning?"

Connie actually didn't know. "Dallas," she blurted out, hoping she was right. From the look that Cali turned her way, she apparently wasn't.

"Umm... Connie? The score is zero to zero."

"Oh, I thought you asked who I was rooting for." Connie knew it was a weak return, but she didn't think Cali would call her on it. She seemed to be trying to be as low-key as possible.

"That's cool."

There was a long pause. Connie tried to focus on the game, not the girl sitting next to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Cali staring fixedly at the screen, her stare blank. Tentatively, she reached over and put her hand on Cali's shoulder. Feeling the stiffness there, Connie almost removed it, but left it instead. After a while, some of the tension seemed to leak out of Cali. Finally, she turned to Connie with a serious expression on her face.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For putting up with me."

"No worries." Noting that the emotions she'd seen seemed to be back under control, Connie decided to focus on cheering Cali up. Keeping things light, she quipped, "I still say Dallas is going to win. Dan Marino is nothing compared to Troy Aikman."

"Well, Troy is much younger and cuter. Although I have to wonder if he ever smiles." This last was said in a thoughtful tone, as if Cali had given it serious thought.

"Of course he does," Connie insisted.

Cali looked dubious. "If you say so."

_Two hours later..._

"I told you my Boys would win." Connie's expression was gleeful as she playfully punched Cali in the arm. Damn, but the Cowboys kicked ass today, she thought. Twenty to nothing! I wonder if they're going to the Playoffs? Six and five isn't the best record, but at least they're back over five hundred, Connie thought happily.

"Yes, you did. Several times. Like maybe a hundred." Cali seemed to be back to her normal self as she baited Connie.

Connie was unabashed. She looked at Cali, noting the teasing light in her eyes, and said nonchalantly, "If certain people didn't choose their teams based on their helmet logos, they might be able to root for a winning team, too."

"Hey! No fair! Using the cute animal on the helmet to pick a winning team is a perfectly legitimate method. Right, Mom?"

Connie watched as Joyce nodded regally, then spoiled it by laughing. She and Cali had sat for a while watching the game before Joyce had come in. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Joyce had moved from the chair on which she was sitting to the couch to Cali's left. Putting her arm around Cali, Joyce had said something too low for Connie to hear over the television and Cali had relaxed into her hug. After a few minutes, the silence had been broken by Cali asking a question, which unfortunately demonstrated her total lack of understanding of football. From there on, Connie had been drafted to explain various plays happening. Between that and her frequent yells as the Cowboys made defensive stop after stop, the rest of the game had flown by.

"I still don't know how you could have been a cheerleader and not know anything at all about football." Connie made sure to put as much disgust into her tone as possible.

Connie watched Cali's face take on a superior expression as she pontificated, "Connie, the point of cheerleading is not about who's winning. It's more about whose uniform looks better and who can do the best gymnastic moves and cheers. I'm not sure I even looked at any of the games when I cheered freshman year. I was too worried about making sure I had the perfect ponytail."

"I still have a hard time believing that the girl who digs such a great latrine was also a vapid, shallow, popularity-driven cheerleader." Connie's voice was sarcastic as she poked fun at Cali. From Cali's insufferable expression, she appeared to be wasting her time. As Cali's next words demonstrated.

"What? I can't have layers?"


	12. Chapter Twelve—The Investigation

**Chapter Twelve—The Investigation**

Buffy hurried to her class, being careful not to slip on any of the snow and ice that covered the grounds. The last thing she needed was to have a Firstie give her a Checkpoint quiz. That had happened to another smack just a few minutes before, slipping and getting quizzed. Buffy had stood nearby lending him her silent support as he was hammered mercilessly on his knowledge of the number of days until Air Force next beats Army and sundry other questions, all the while wet snow dripped down his uniform coat. Oh well, Buffy thought, at least he hadn't fallen right in front of his tormentors. When he was finally done, face red with embarrassment, he'd given Buffy a grateful look, then headed off.

It made her feel like she belonged, the camaraderie that she'd developed with others in her class. You were supposed to succeed or fail as a unit. The only part that Buffy didn't like was that you were also not supposed to stand out from that unit in either a good or bad way. She supposed that she'd already failed that, although a Firstie could always find a way to use Class Unity against you if they really wanted you to fail.

Sighing, Buffy slipped into class. She wasn't late, but also not as early as she preferred. Hurriedly pulling out her notebook, Buffy got ready to take notes. Her thoughts wandered to the previous Thanksgiving weekend. That had been both fun and horrible. Having Connie there the entire time had meant there was someone who she could hang out with, watch TV with, and shop with. Unfortunately, it also meant she had to be on her guard the entire time, in the one place she usually could count upon being herself.

Not that Buffy thought she'd been especially effective. Stuffing five times as much food into yourself as anyone else could eat wasn't especially inconspicuous, but dammit! The food was just sooo good. And with Thanksgiving being the one big meal of the day, Buffy hadn't been able to sneak in snacks throughout the day as she usually did. Worse, Connie seemed to take note of her munching on power bars now where before she'd been oblivious. If Buffy wasn't careful, Connie was going to think she was an alien here to infiltrate the Zoo and learn all of its secrets. Although what self-respecting alien would put themselves through this?

Buffy tried to focus on what the instructor was saying, but decided it was a lost cause. Tonight was the night she investigated Sheridan and Merryman's room. She was actually nervous, which was funny. Fighting vampires and demons didn't make her nervous, but raiding the room of a couple of jerks did. Buffy knew she would be fine. Their room was on the sheltered side of the building and with the recent snowfall and early sunset, very few people would be out. Of course, that didn't mean no one would be out. At least she shouldn't have to worry about either of the cadets in question showing up. Sher was acting as an Honor Rep, helping cadets understand the Honor Code, while Merryman was doing something with his flight as Cadet Flight Commander. Buffy should have the room to herself.

Of course, the only thing left was how to get in. Their room was on the fourth floor and she was sure to get busted if she tried to go in through the inside door. That left the outside window, which hopefully would be unlocked. No one who lived on the third floor or higher locked their windows. There wasn't much chance of a burglar breaking in, even if anyone had something worth stealing. But Buffy wasn't just any burglar. She thought that she could climb up the outside of the building using the gaps between bricks for toe and finger holds. It would be cold, but not that difficult.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Buffy stood outside Vandenberg Hall, feeling icy wind whipping by her. It was a miserable night, with temperatures hovering in the twenties. Additionally, there was a thirty mile per hour wind blowing with gusts even worse. It was the coldest Buffy had ever been, although oddly enough, she wasn't really uncomfortable. She'd felt much colder during the ski trip she'd taken with her parents when she was twelve. But that was before becoming the Slayer. Giles had always told her that she had far more abilities than she'd ever used. If only she would focus more. Momentarily, a fond smile touched Buffy's face as she thought about her former mentor. Sternly, she repressed the answering touch of sadness that usually accompanied thoughts of Giles. She had a job to do and needed to get to it.

It was a perfect night for breaking into a certain twosome's room. Both were occupied with extra duties and shouldn't be back until after 2100 hours. It was now just 1930 hours, and the entire area was completely deserted. The sun had set two hours ago, but it hadn't mattered. With the the heavy cloud cover, it had been twilight all day.

The night was dark enough that Buffy doubted she would have been noticed if she was wearing an orange jumpsuit, but in just in case, she wore dark clothes that allowed her to blend in. Dark gloves and a black ski mask finished her ensemble. Even if she was spotted, no one would know they were looking at Cadet Buffy Summers. At least she hoped not.

Buffy approached the brick wall. She'd been sure it was easily climbable for someone with her abilities and it was. Buffy slowly, finger hold by finger hold, moved up the face of the wall until she reached Sheridan and Merryman's window. The room was dark, which was good since she wouldn't be silhouetted against a light. Not that there was I_anyone_/I out, a fact Buffy confirmed with a quick glance around behind and beneath her. Now if only the window...

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief as she pushed up the window. It was unlocked. She hadn't seen any reason it wouldn't be, but people did odd things sometimes, including locking a window on the fourth floor. Even when the window in question had been open just a few days ago to take advantage of one of a handful of beautiful, cool Fall days. As it had turned out, it was probably the last day like that until Spring.

Buffy eased over the top of the window, and slid into the room. Carefully, she closed the blinds on the window before turning on the light. With their room being at the back of Vandenberg Hall, it was unlikely anyone would spot the light being on, but Buffy wasn't taking any chances.

Buffy surveyed the room. Like most cadets', it was fairly immaculate. Of course, as Firsties, Sher and Lloyd had a TV. And a mini-fridge. Buffy stared with frank envy at the twenty-five inch TV sitting on top of their mini-fridge. She didn't have time to watch television, but still, it was the principle of the thing. Determinedly turning away from temptation, Buffy tried to figure out where they would hide contraband.

She had already decided against planting any evidence against the two cadets. First, she didn't know if it would be enough. The Air Force's unfortunate desire to cover their ass tended to outweigh the desire for full disclosure more often than not. The police's "Blue Wall" had nothing on the Air Force's. So if she wanted to get those bastards expelled, Buffy was going to need solid evidence. Which, hopefully, she'd find. The other reason was simpler. Planting manufactured evidence wasn't the right thing to do. Buffy was there to try to get both Sheridan and Merryman expelled. The last thing she needed to do was do violate her own ethics to do so.

Fifteen minutes later, Buffy was getting frustrated. She'd checked the fridge first, and envied its contents. No contraband in, behind, or under it. The dressers were out of the question, although Buffy checked them anyway. The beds had also gotten her a big goose egg. She'd unscrewed the two air vents to check behind them, but again, found nada. Now she slowly double-checked all of the things she'd checked before, looking for something taped to the bottom of a drawer, anything really.

After a moment, her eyes fell on the desktop computers, one each belonging to Sher and Lloyd. Quickly, Buffy booted them up to the password screen. There, she was stuck. Then Buffy remembered something Willow had shown her, how lazy users who couldn't remember their own passwords would hide them in some convenient spot. Quickly, Buffy flipped over the keyboards. On Merryman's computer, there was a piece of paper with two passwords written on it taped to the back of the keyboard. Quickly, Buffy entered the first of the passwords. The computer finished its boot up and Buffy was able to peruse Merryman's files. Looking for anything out of the ordinary, Buffy didn't see anything.

After a moment's thought, Buffy checked inside the Windows folder. Willow had once said that no one looked for stuff that was mixed with the system files. Scanning as fast as she could, Buffy almost went right past the questionable file.

It was named 'System2." Buffy wasn't sure that made sense. Quickly, she tried to open the file. No such luck since the folder was password protected as well. Buffy tried the first password and it didn't work. However, the second one did. There were two Word files inside. The first file contained a list of names along with letters and numbers next to them. "Gerald Kimball – 8 CC". Customers and amounts, Buffy wondered? Beneath the names was a shorter list of what could be amounts and weekly dates. Buffy thought those might be inventories, but she wasn't sure. It wasn't like how her mother did inventory, but then Joyce's products were for the most part unique. If it was an inventory, where was the product?

The second file was a list of female names with asterisks next to them. Some of the names had as many as five asterisks next to them. Feeling ill, Buffy didn't go any further. She didn't _want_ to know what they meant, although she had a sinking feeling that she already knew.

Turning off Merryman's computer, Buffy turned to Sheridan's. No passwords under the keyboard. Buffy realized that she hadn't checked the cases for contraband, so she opened it and looked inside. No contraband, but the passwords were right there, taped to the inside of the case.

Buffy quickly entered the first password, accessing the system. Checking the same location, Buffy found the same file. So they shared tips on hiding files, but not passwords, she thought absently as she opened the sole file that was inside of Sheridan's folder.

It was an Excel file with three unnamed tabs. On the first tab, under the heading "Customers," there was a long list of names, along with classifications. On the second tab, under the heading "Acquired," there was a long list of classes, organized by year. On the third tab, under the heading "Need", there was another long list of classes. It was fairly obvious what the lists were. Buffy sat a moment and fumed, then turned off Sheridan's computer, closing up the case.

It pissed Buffy off thinking that so many cadets were cheating, taking shortcuts. While it seemed minor compared to Merryman's rape ring, it still spit on the traditions of the Zoo. Traditions that Buffy hadn't realized she took so seriously, until she saw the fruits of Sher's dishonesty. Her anger, so hot just moments before, grew harder, colder, and more ruthless as she considered what to do about the situation. Buffy felt a chill in the pit of her stomach.

So she had the documentation, but where was the actual evidence? She'd already checked the entire room. If the two cadets kept their products somewhere else, she was out of luck. Thinking for a moment, Buffy tried to decide if she'd missed anything.

After a couple of minutes, Buffy's eyes fell on the foot lockers that stood at the foot of both cadets' bunks. It couldn't be that easy, surely. Buffy had ignored them up to now, knowing that they were both items that were certainly checked every inspection. The idea that either cadet would keep anything there was beyond insane. Still, it was the only place she hadn't looked. And, she considered thoughtfully, Buffy herself had used one with a false bottom to conceal things from her parents for years. Hers had been a gift from Merrick, but that didn't mean someone else couldn't get one like it somewhere else.

Buffy opened up a locker and examined it. Yucky, she thought absently, as she recognized Merryman's belongings. Bingo! Buffy checked the bottom and sure enough, there was a discrepancy between what where the bottom was and where it should be. No one but a Slayer would have noticed, she thought, feeling the small discrepancy. It would only allow for at most, three quarters of an inch for storage, unlike her old footlocker. But that might be enough.

Carefully, Buffy removed everything from Merryman's footlocker, carefully noting the standardized layout. Basically, it was set up just like hers, so she could put it back together in her sleep. Once that was done, she set about opening the false bottom. She tugged and pressed to no avail. Buffy focused her entire attention to the item in front of her. Closing her eyes, she let herself extend her senses. Lightly shaking the locker, she heard the faintest clink of glass. Allowing fingers that could effortlessly tell the face of one coin from another just by how worn it was to ghost over the footlocker, Buffy felt for any clue. There it was. Buffy pressed and with a faint click, the footlocker revealed its secrets.

Through cold, angry eyes, Buffy stared at more than fifty small vials that lined the bottom of the locker along with several small stacks of bills. Each vial couldn't hold more than half a fluid ounce at most, but with a sickening certainty, Buffy knew they contained GHB. Deciding to make sure, Buffy picked up a vial and unscrewing the top, lightly touched it to her tongue.

Yep, definitely GHB, Buffy thought. While supposedly tasteless, that wasn't exactly true when it came to the taste buds of a Slayer. Especially a Slayer who had been exposed to the substance once before. As a junior in high school, Buffy had gone with Cordelia to a party given by Delta Zeta Kappa Fraternity, only to nearly be sacrificed to a big snake. The GHB that had been administered in her drink shouldn't have affected her substantially, but because it was mixed with the mystical venom from the Snake Boy's poison glands, it had hit Buffy like a ton of bricks.

It had been embarrassing that _Cordelia_ of all people had woken before her. And Cordelia had made sure to rub that fact in. But Giles had come to Buffy's rescue. Giles had explained that because the venom was mystical in nature, she had been just as vulnerable as any other girl. Less than tactfully, he had added that because Buffy was so much smaller and more slender than Cordelia, she'd actually been out a bit longer. It had taken weeks before Cordelia had forgiven Giles his faux pas, but it had earned him a Buffy-hug.

The best thing about the experience, at least as far as Buffy was concerned, was that Giles had also informed her that because she'd been exposed to the drug and the venom already, it was unlikely to affect her again. Slayers were already tremendously resistant to most toxins and drugs, one reason Giles had given her so many shots of the Cruciamentum drug before it had finally robbed her of her abilities. But even better, once a Slayer was exposed to a toxin or drug, they built up even more immunity. That was probably why Quentin had taken off so quickly after Buffy's Cruciamentum. If he had stayed around, she probably would have kicked his ass, especially since her abilities came back within days of the drug no longer being administered. Giles had confirmed her idea that it would be almost impossible to use the drug on her again, although he had cautioned her that if something happened that required the use of it, the Council was far more likely to send a wetworks squad to deal with her.

That thought had momentarily crossed her mind when she had defied Wesley and the Council in saving Angel, but she hadn't let it stop her. At the time, Buffy had thought "Let them come." She was prepared to do whatever was necessary. But of course, they hadn't come, instead ignoring her. And then the school had blown up and killed everyone.

Pulling her mind back to the present, Buffy quickly calculated that there was enough of the date rape drug to dose over a hundred women. Numbly, she decided that Merryman was the biggest bastard she had ever known personally. Or maybe not, remembering Mayor Wilkins. Still, who knows how long he had been doing things of this nature. It was probably only the attitude of the Air Force that condemned the victim of a crime like rape that caused no one to come forward. Any woman who did, knew she was jeopardizing her career. Buffy had heard that if you accused someone of rape, more often than not, you were charged with having sex with another cadet in their dorm room, a crime punishable by expulsion. That, coupled with the knowledge that too many times things of this nature had been swept under the rug, kept a lot of women from reporting them.

Checking Sher's footlocker was almost anti-climatic. Sure enough, it had copies of dozens of tests, as well as several large stacks of bills, all neatly laid out in the space available. It took Buffy a few minutes to figure out that Sher had copies of every final that he was going to be taking in about three weeks. There were even more than that and Buffy recognized more than thirty tests and answer keys from more than a dozen other First and Second Year classes. Was he selling them, Buffy wondered? Or maybe he was using them for influence? The money certainly suggested the former rather than the latter, but who knew? Idly, she counted the money. Almost, fifteen thousand dollars were in Sher's footlocker, almost as much as was in Merryman's.

Buffy shivered, truly cold for the first time tonight. Desperately, she wanted to go find both cadets and give them a beatdown so vicious it would go down in the annals of history as the worst beating anyone had every received and still survived. But she couldn't. Not and accomplish her mission for the Powers. Saving the world still had to come first. But that didn't mean she was going to let them off the hook. At least the heat was off of her now.

Buffy knew she had blackmail material enough to counter anything that either cadet tried. She could force Merryman to abandon his plans to get her expelled. She could make Sher drop to his knees and kiss her feet, although, eeewwwww... Neither plan interested Buffy in the slightest. She wanted to see them both crash and burn. Nothing less would satisfy her. Nothing less would provide justice to all of those wronged by the two men.

Making her decision, Buffy quickly packed up the two footlockers. It was easy because the standardized layout was the same for all cadets. After doing one final survey with all her Slayer senses, Buffy closed the footlockers. Buffy looked over the room, decided everything was exactly where it should be. Then she heard a key in the lock to the room!

Buffy moved in a blur, turning off the light, then moving towards, then out, the window. Even as the door was opening, Buffy was carefully closing the window, trying to be quiet. She held her breath as a shadow passed in front of the blinds, which to her eyes were still moving slightly, but nothing else happened. No one opened the window and shouted, "Intruder!" Buffy was suitably grateful to Murphy for the non-application of his law. Then her left hand slipped off a spot of ice, while her right hand was already moving towards another handhold. One that she hadn't grabbed yet. Buffy abruptly fell the thirty feet to the bottom of the wall.

Buffy stared up at lighted windows above her. Ouch. She was lying on her back and her ass ached fiercely. Screw Murphy, Buffy thought murderously, then in a mercurial change of temper, laughed softly to herself. She'd been so focused on nothing going wrong, that of course it had. Luckily she'd fallen on a relatively thick layer of snow. It was freshly fallen enough that she only had bruises, although for at least a few hours the ones on her ass were likely to be particularly vivid. Getting up, Buffy rubbed that area of her anatomy, then moved out. She had to go grab her uniform and get dressed. She had to be in her room by lights out at 2230 hours. And before lights out, she wanted to discuss with Connie exactly what she'd found.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

"Those mother goat fuckers," Connie swore fiercely as she listened to Cali tell her tale of what she'd found. "I swear to God, Cali, those guys should be castrated. I mean, you hear stories. Someone knows someone else who's had been attacked. But to find out that those guys are doing this and making _money_ on it? They should be castrated. Maybe by hanging them from their balls until they are cut off? Hell, I'll pull on the rope."

"Ewww, Connie, thanks for the visual. The less I think about either of those guys' balls, the less chance I'll barf. You know? So what do you think?"

Connie stared at her roommate. Cali looked a little less sure about herself than usual. Finding out about a ring of serial rapists and serial cheaters would take the stuffing out of anyone, Connie thought ruefully. Then she considered that Cali hadn't been phased by breaking into the Firsties' room. And exactly how had she been able to get in anyway? Maybe it was the sheer degree of their dishonesty. Or maybe not, Connie thought ruefully. She was definitely over-thinking this. Carefully, Connie stated, "Cali, I'm not sure what you're asking me. I mean I think we need to make those bastards pay. But as to how? I just don't know."

Cali sighed. Her eyes took on a familiar look of focus and concentration as she concentrated on the task at hand. "That's been the weakest part of my plan. An anonymous tip might or might not get action. I'm thinking not. Or at least, not quickly enough to stop them from getting rid of the evidence. The Powers That Be don't want any scandals. It's the last thing they need from a public relations stand point. Screw them." Her thoughtful expression slowly cleared. "Okay, I have an idea."

Connie felt a sense of foreboding as she saw the dangerous look that appeared in Cali's eyes. Crap, she thought, Cali's going to do something crazy or dangerous. Or maybe both. "What's your plan?"

"I report what I saw to Colonel O'Neill, and then to the Zoo hierarchy."

"Are you stoned? You can't report them. How are you going to explain being in their room?" Connie wanted to shake the smaller girl. Or would if she didn't know that Cali would put her over her knee and spank her. If she was lucky. She shivered as the dangerous smile of a tiger, who'd just made a kill, slowly curved Cali's soft lips. At times like this, Cali scared the crap out of Connie. There was something beyond dangerous about her at times like this. Partially sexual, it screamed "Predator!" A really scary predator.

Cali's eyes were hard as stone as she explained her plan. "I'm going to get into their room by hooking up with Sher." As Connie's eyes widened in loathing, Cali's face screwed up into an expression of disgust. "Ewwww... I'm not going to sleep with him. But I need to be in their room legitimately. That's the only way to be able to report them without getting hammered flat myself. I can't let them get away with what their doing. They're shitting all over the Zoo and the Honor Code. But I'm also not going to get my career fubared to do it. So that's the only solution. Unless you have another idea?"

Connie considered what Cali had said. No, she didn't have another idea. Still, she didn't want to see Cali take risks like that. "Cali, I don't want you to take a chance like that. What if he drugs you? Then you're going to be another statistic. Or what if..."

Cali interrupted her. "Connie, I'm not going to be in any danger. Those losers don't scare me in the slightest."

Connie hesitated. She knew that Cali probably wasn't in danger, but should she say so? Connie decided to take a chance to get closer to Cali. After a moment, she said, "Cali, look, I know that you're... different. You're special." At the shocked look on the smaller girl's face, Connie grimaced. "Hey, I'm not stupid, you know. I have sharp eyes and a brain behind them. You do things that most people can't. The thing is, I don't care if you're a mutant or Satan's daughter. You don't have to tell me what's going on. I do hope one day that you'll trust me enough to tell me. That's all I'm asking, 'kay?"

Cali seemed lost in thought. After a moment, she said, "Connie, I can't tell you anything right now. I promise that I'll come clean one day. Although, I can promise you that I'm not a mutant _or_ Satan's daughter." Cali's eyes were forthright as they met Connie's. The two girls stared into each other's eyes for a few moments, trying to read beyond the surface, then in unison both looked away. They had looked deeply into one another's souls and the vulnerabilities within had forced their disengagement. But not until they had an even stronger sense of one another than before. A deeper sense of respect and liking than before.

Deep enough for Connie to say what she felt, "Cali, I'll wait. I do trust you. More than anyone I know, other than my dad. You've been worthy of my trust and I know that's not going to change. But don't expect me to stop watching and thinking. If I figure out what's going on before you tell me..." Connie smiled as her voice trailed off. More than anything, she felt giddy with relief. She wasn't crazy. The world was a different place than it had been this morning. And, more importantly, she hadn't had her ass kicked by bringing up something that had to be as touchy a subject as there was for Cali. She felt confidant that one day soon, Cali would trust her with the truth about what was going on. Until then, she would trust her friend.

Cali's face seemed glow as she smiled in response to Connie's words. She looked absolutely stunning. For the first time, staring at that radiant face, Connie felt the faintest stir of desire for her roommate. Not that she was into women, but the attraction she felt went beyond gender to touch something deeper inside of her. Connie wouldn't act on it, even if she were gay. Not only would it be dangerous to both their careers, but ultimately she respected Cali too much to consider becoming involved with her that way. Dear friends, classmates, and ultimately, fellow officers, those would have to be enough. Decision made, Connie felt a sense of peace. Whatever happened, she would always remember this moment. The moment she truly joined her fate to to that of Buffy Summers.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Buffy stood near the entrance to Vandenberg Hall. It was late afternoon on the next day. Sheridan was a creature of habit and would likely be by within the next few minutes. Buffy was running a risk. She was risking being "stood to" just by being here. But if Sher saw her, Buffy figured she was safe. He was unlikely to put his chance with her in jeopardy by putting her through an inquisition. Then she saw him striding along.

As Sher grew nearer, Buffy pretended to just notice him. Buffy snapped to attention, her feet automatically finding the correct forty-five degree angle, her shoulders back, hands at her sides, her thumb along the where the crease of pants would be if she were wearing them.

"What are you doing here, smack? You know better than to be here." Sheridan's voice was mildly scolding as he spoke to her.

"No excuse, sir!"

Sher's voice was droll as he said, "Can the Seven, Cadet Summers." He referred to the seven basic responses that a smack was supposed to use in response to an upperclassman. He had a charming smile, which Buffy might have liked, if she didn't already have knowledge of what a scumbag he was inside.

"Sir?" Bingo! Buffy knew she had him. After all, anyone who would cheat on all of those tests, would certainly cheat on a bet even with a friend. Sher eyed her like he was thinking about where to take a nibble from.

"Surprised I know who you are? I've had my eye on you for some time. You've been very... impressive in what you've accomplished so far, Cadet. Very impressive."

"Thank you, sir!"

Sher reached over and took Buffy's elbow, startling her. The last thing she had expected was for him to actually touch her. But then looking around, Buffy noticed they were the only two people here. The weather still sucked, so most cadets were in their rooms or at the library. That would change soon as dinner approached, but for now, they were alone.

"Uhh, sir?" Buffy decided playing the innocent would be the best way to lure the big, bad wolf and she was right.

"Let's get inside, Cadet. No need to stay out here and freeze. We can talk in private."

By this time, they were already inside and moving towards the stairs. Sher gestured gallantly for Buffy to go first. At least it would be gallant if Buffy didn't know what Sher's real reason was for letting her go first: he wanted to stare at her ass as she walked up the steps ahead of him. Buffy made sure to put a little extra hip roll in her walk as she moved up the steps. Heels would have helped, but even without them, she was able to put on a show. It made her feel dirty and in need of a shower, but just thinking about what she'd seen in Sher's room kept her from contemplating stopping.

At the fourth floor, Sher opened the stairwell door for Buffy. Politely, he gestured for her to go ahead of him. Buffy walked down the hall. She would have walked right past his room if Sher again hadn't put his hand on her elbow, halting her. "My room's here, Cadet."

"Your room, sir?" Buffy put a little squeak into her voice.

"Sure. It's the only place we can be alone to talk. Otherwise, we have to stick to the traditional methods of communication, when I would much rather avoid that."

"That's fine with me, sir." Buffy's voice was soft as she said the last. Just then someone came out of the room two doors down. Buffy saw the face of Gator, who did a double-take as he spotted them. All emotion was wiped off of his face as he stared at them a moment. Gator looked like he was about to speak, then stopped, turned around, and headed the other way down the hall.

"Go on in, Cadet."

Obediently, Buffy walked into Sher's room. She heard the door close behind her and then the lock snicked shut. She was alone in his room with John Sheridan...

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Sher couldn't believe his luck. He'd spotted Cadet Summers as she'd loitered in an area where she wasn't supposed to be, probably taking advantage of the weather to not have to worry about being busted. For a moment, he'd considered giving her hell. But that wouldn't have been in line with his goal of nailing the little bitch, so he'd held off. He was damned glad he'd done so, looking at the hot little thing standing in her uniform in his room.

Watching her walk up the stairs had made him conscious of just what a tight little ass Summers had. She had to have known he was staring and had put a little extra wiggle in her walk, not an easy thing in flats. But then she was one hell of an athlete.

Sher knew all about Summers' physical abilities. That had been almost as big a lure as her looks. The idea of that little energizer bunny riding him for hours was more than a little erotic. Sher wondered what expression she would have on her face as she came...

He realized he'd missed something she had said. Oh yeah, that was it. "Please, call me Sher. And I'll call you Buffy. Or do you prefer 'Cali?'"

She smiled a sweet smile. "Call me Cali... Sher." Without being asked, Cali sat on his bed, crossing her legs, and looking up at him with big, innocent, green eyes.

Sher fairly salivated as he stared down at her. Cali leaned back onto her elbows. Her blouse was tight across her breasts. Her nipples were hard points, faintly visible through the material. Cali's skirt had ridden up slightly and Sher could see hints of her thighs. He knew from experience that those skirts could be easily hiked up. Sher contemplated doing exactly that, but decided to test the waters a little first. Sitting down next to her, Sher allowed his hand to rest on Cali's flat, taunt stomach.

Lightly rubbing, he watched Cali's face as her pupils dilated. Gotcha, he thought smugly. And he didn't even have to break out the happy juice. Almost casually, he rolled over on top of Cali and pressed her into the mattress, grinding against her thigh. Sher covered Cali's mouth with his.

She kissed him back for a moment, then pushed lightly with both hands on his chest. Sher wasn't going anywhere, and continued to devour her mouth. He had just cupped her breast, when she got her leg braced against his body and kicked out, tossing him up and off of her. Sher almost kept his feet, but stumbled to his knees.

Angry, he started to curse the little bitch, when he stopped, arrested. Cali's lips were soft and kissable. Her eyes were drowning deep, pupils enormous. Her chest heaved as she breathed deeply in and out, the first three buttons of her uniform blouse undone, showing a hint of cleavage. Damn, she was hot.

"I'm sorry, Sher, but I don't do that on the first date. And we haven't even had a date yet."

The little bitch had the effrontery to actually flutter her eyelashes at him. Rather than make him mad, it just made Sher more determined to nail her. He thought, the harder the pursuit, the sweeter the reward at the end, remembering the way Cali had undulated her hips against his. Just staring at that sweet little pouty mouth made him want to-

Sher got a grip on himself. "So you want to go out with me?"

"Maybe. You haven't asked me yet."

Amazing the ways girls made you jump through hoops. Sher decided then and there that he would take Cali out. Buy her dinner and then dose her. He would then spend the rest of the night enjoying himself with that hot little body. If he got the dose just right, she wouldn't even be completely out, but instead just loose enough to enjoy herself.

"Cali, would you go out with me Saturday night?"

Cali smiled mysteriously, before answering, "I would love to, Sher."

"It's a date. How about we continue..."

"I have to go. My roommate's expecting me to meet her for dinner, then studying after. I'll see you soon though."

Sher watched as Cali quickly fixed her uniform blouse, fastening the three buttons. With a quick wiggle, and smoothing of her uniform skirt, she was back to being the same attractive, together smack she'd been when he first saw her. Sher grabbed her before she made it to the door, giving her a quick kiss. Her heated response thrilled him, then she was gone, so quickly that he almost thought she had supernatural powers...

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Buffy leaned against the wall outside Sher's room for a moment. She almost vomited right then and there. Never in her worst nightmares had she imagined how hard it was going to be to play her part. Now she knew. That knowledge curdled her stomach like acid. Buffy desperately needed a shower to wash off Sher's touch. And to get out of here before he came out of his room. Hurriedly, she stumbled away down the hall, heading for the north staircase, the one opposite where she'd come upstairs.

On her way down the stairs, Buffy almost ran into Gator. Buffy came to attention, even though she had to back up a step to the landing above her. She was aware of the angry expression that Gator wore. He did not speak however. Finally, after a long pause, Gator said, "Ca... Cadet Summers, it is against regulations for you to be fraternizing with another cadet in his room. Especially a first-class cadet. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"No excuse, sir!"

"That's not good enough, smack." He paused, then, "Dammit, Cali! I'm only going to say this once. John Sheridan's bad news. I do not want you anywhere near him. Do. You. Understand?"

"Yes, sir! I understand, sir!"

Dark, angry eyes stared into quiet, green ones. After a moment, Gator's tension seemed to ease and his eyes softened. "Did anything happen, cadet? While you were in his room?"

"No, sir!"

"Can the Seven, Cali. Did Sheridan do anything to you?"

"No, he didn't, Ga... sir. He didn't do anything. Please don't worry. I won't be seeing him again. I promise." Buffy somehow kept from crossing her heart, but it wasn't easy. She'd wondered at one point a couple of months ago if a certain Randolph 'Gator' Pierson liked her, as in a boy-girl way. He'd never given any overt sign of it, but at the same time, there had been something about the way he'd watched her.

Now, she was sure. If it was one thing that Buffy understood, it was boys. Just as she'd known how to play Sher, she knew that Gator was attracted to her. He had I_that_/I look on his face. Slightly sappy, slightly befuddled, it told her more about the way he felt than if he just declared it. Her life was complicated enough without adding dating an upperclassman to it, especially a Firstie. One who would graduate in a few months, entering the Air Force as an officer, while Buffy stayed in school for another three years. Still there was something about those dark blue eyes of his.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Gator stared at Cali's face. She looked flushed and embarrassed, yet she was still the prettiest girl at the Zoo. The first time he'd seen her, joining their Advanced Unarmed Combat Class, he'd been struck by just how attractive she was. Now, staring into her face just a few inches away, Gator realized she was beautiful. Without eye make up or even lipstick, Cali Summers was beautiful. There was a quality about her, an inner strength and charisma that surrounded her, that made her seem larger than life. It was that larger than life quality that made Gator do a double-take every time he realized just how small Cali was. There was a delicacy to the bones in her face and body that made look frail and dainty. Of course from sparring with Cali, Gator knew she was anything but that. Watching her toss the Captain around had been shocking, but even more so had been seeing just how good she was as she helped teach the class over the next couple of months.

Cali was the best martial artist Gator had ever seen. And he included those grainy black and white reels featuring Bruce Lee and others that he'd watched back in high school in Ft. Lauderdale. She moved like some kind of dream, elegant and graceful, power in every move. His old teacher had moved something like her, but even Master Notei hadn't Cali's perfect grace, despite teaching and practicing Shotakan Karate for over fifty years. How did an eighteen-year-old girl have so much ability? Gator knew that Captain Billings had some of the same questions, not that he would discuss them even with a Firstie. Still, it had been obvious from his puzzled expression when Gator had seen him watching Cali demonstrate some particularly difficult move to another cadet.

It wasn't just her looks and ability that Gator found attractive. It was her generosity of spirit, the way she went out of her way to help others. She'd found and corrected so many errors in his and the others students' forms, that it had been embarrassing. Or it would have been with anyone else doing it. Somehow with a quick word and a smile, Cali made her corrections painless. She'd even got through to Mr. Prickly-pants himself, Roy Williams, and gotten him to correct that damn kick. Gator considered that nothing short of a miracle.

Her match with the marine was going to be the stuff of legends. Gator had known just how good Joe Wilson was when he got his ass handed to him in the finals. He hit hard, fast, and accurately, making him a dangerous foe. Gator scored exactly no points against him, although he would have gotten a penalty point if the ref had seen Joe foul him.

Then Cali had gone after him. For a moment, watching her pound Joe, Gator hadn't even been worried. He _knew_ just how good Cali was. But then she'd slipped and Joe had hurt her, at first Gator had thought badly, although it had turned out to be just bruised ribs. He'd been worried as she got back up and closed with the jarhead. Cali had gone on to school Wilson in why messing with her was such a bad idea. She'd kicked his ass big time. The Air Force might have come in second in the overall standings to the Marines, but they'd won a moral victory by having their winner in the Female 105 lb Class kick Wilson's ass.

Afterwards, watching Cali standing around in her sports bra getting checked out by Captain Billings, Joe had felt powerfully attracted to her. He felt vaguely ashamed that the sight of her dressed skimpily could cause him to feel that way. She was hurt after all. The last thing she needed was to have him lusting after her when she really needed to see a doctor. It had caused him to avoid her for a little while right after the match, but eventually he'd gotten over it.

Gator had even imagined asking her out. It was against regs for a first-class cadet to date a smack, but as long as they didn't make it too obvious, it would get overlooked. It would have been different if she were a grade higher, since that was allowed. However, it was fortunate they weren't in the same squadron or it would have been even harder since they would have been looked at more closely. Being in different squadrons, they could pretend to be just friends while secretly dating.

Thinking about what he'd seen made Gator angry all over again. John Sheridan was a low-life shit-heel. Gator couldn't prove it, but he'd heard too many rumors of the things he had done to other female cadets, many of them smacks, like Cali. Sher's accomplice, Lloyd Merryman was even worse. Gator thought both of them should be kicked out of the Zoo, but that wasn't his call.

Seeing Buffy about to go into Sher's room with him, watching him with his hands on her, had almost made Gator head over and beat the crap out of Sheridan. The only thing that had stopped him was that Cali, out of all the girls he knew, was most able to take care of herself. If Sheridan tried anything unwelcome, she would bounce him around the room like a rubber ball. The thing that really caused his guts to clench was the idea that maybe if Sheridan tried anything, it wouldn't be unwelcome.

Staring down into her gorgeous face, meeting those big, green eyes, Gator was convinced that Cali wouldn't spend any more time with Sheridan. She had looked slightly nauseous when he'd first seen her just now and worriedly, Gator had wondered if she'd drank anything while she was in Sheridan's room. He wouldn't put it past the bastard to...

Flushing, he realized that he had been staring directly into Cali's eyes for a while now. She was on the landing, two steps above him, which put them at exactly eye level. And she'd said something else, but he had no idea what. Amusement had crept into her eyes.

Dammit! She was still a smack and he couldn't allow her to be amused at his expense. But at the same time, Gator had no patience right now with the games the Zoo played on its inhabitants. He didn't feel like busting Cali's chops. So he did the next best thing. Looking to make sure no one was around, Gator pulled Cali to him and kissed her.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Ooookayyy, she hadn't expected that. Being kissed by Gator was light years better than being kissed by Sher. Instead of disgust, Buffy felt desire. Instead of dirty, Buffy felt heat burning through her. God, he was a good kisser. His tongue lightly teased her bottom lip and helplessly Buffy opened her mouth fully. She never even contemplated pushing him back. When Gator finally stepped back, a smug expression on his face, Buffy had to grab the railing to stay upright. She hadn't been that weak-kneed from a kiss since the first time she'd kissed Angel. Not even thinking about her dead lover could dim this moment, though. Buffy tried to gather her thoughts, failed, and then finally got out, "What was that all about?"

"I've been wanting to kiss you for a while now. I was just looking for the right time."

Gator's simple statement shocked Buffy into speechlessness. She stared at his calm, contented expression. After a moment of her staring, Gator said, "Get to your room, Cali. We'll talk about this later. And no hanging around John Sheridan. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Carry on."

With that, Gator moved past Buffy up the steps, leaving her alone. Wow, Buffy thought. That was some kiss. I wonder if I should tell Connie? Then Buffy realized that she needed to get back to her task at hand, namely talking to Colonel O'Neill and then the Powers That Be here at the Zoo. Buffy hoped that everything went as planned.


	13. Chapter Thirteen—Punishment

**Chapter Thirteen—Punishment**

Buffy stopped, reversed direction, and ran back up the stairs. "Wait, Gator!"

He stopped, turned around and frowned. "Yes, Cadet Summers?"

Uh, oh, Buffy thought. Maybe she shouldn't have called him by name. Well, she knew how to deal with that. Taking the last step, she moved in and kissed him again. Yep, that brought out a smile. "If you just wanted to kiss me..."

"No, si... Gat... Okay, this is weird. I am going to stick with calling you Gator for right now. Gator, this is the situation. I was in Cadet Sheridan's room to search it. I need to come clean because I'm taking what I found there to the Powers That Be. So feel free to report me. But please don't indicate what time you saw me leave. I have a reason for stopping you beyond the entire kissing thing. Please trust me."

Gravely, Gator looked into her eyes. With a sigh, he said, "I'm probably going to regret this, Cali, but okay. I'll back your play. I'll report you first thing tomorrow morning. That's the earliest I would have anyway. And I won't say I saw you afterwards. I'm going to want an explanation at some time though. Got it?"

"Thank you, Gator. You'll get one." Buffy started to turn around, but Gator stopped her. He pulled into another kiss that again curled her toes. Wow, she thought, I think I see stars...

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Buffy slipped into her room, her heart still beating fast. It was odd how climbing icy walls in the middle of the night didn't affect her pulse, but getting kissed by a cute boy did. Okay, maybe not that odd, still...

Connie greeted her. "Hey, Cali. So?"

"So what?"

"Don't say so what to me. Tell me what happened with Sher. Dish, girl!"

"He kissed me." Buffy knew she had a dreamy expression on her face, but she couldn't help it. Gator's last kiss had rocked her in a very good way.

Connie's eyes widened. "_Sher_ kissed you? Yuck!"

"No... I mean, yes, I did make out with Sher. I had to seal the deal. But... what I mean is that _Gator_ kissed me."

If anything Connie's eyes got even bigger. "Wait. You made out with _two_ guys? Daaamnnn, Cali, you really get around."

In exasperation, Buffy tossed her pillow at Connie. This lead to a little back and forth wrestling that Buffy won by dint of Slayer strength.

After a moment, Connie spoke again. "So give me the play by play."

With that, Buffy launched into what had happened with Sher. She explained how he had hit on her, invited her to his room, and tried to steal second base. Buffy told Connie what she had done to him, then how the two of them had a date on Saturday. A date which Buffy wasn't planning to make since hopefully both Sheridan and Merryman would be long gone.

Connie said, "You never really told me what you're going to tell Colonel O'Neill about how you found out about Sheridan and Merryman. I mean, he's not going to be convinced if you just call him and tell him that there's a big cheating slash rape ring. You know?"

Buffy calmly met Connie's eyes. She could tell that the other girl was nervous, despite their discussions on how best to handle this. But she deserved the truth. "I'm going to tell him the truth."

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Connie almost choked as she heard what Cali had to say. Trying to get herself under control, Connie wondered what truth Cali was going to tell Colonel O'Neill? The truth about how the two of them had taken it upon themselves to try to get two utter bastards out of the service of their country, no matter what it took?

"Uhh... Cali, what do you mean? If we tell the truth, they're going to get rid of all four of us." Connie watched Cali as she spoke, looking for a reaction.

There was a brief flash of amusement, then Cali spoke in a reassuring tone, "Don't worry, Connie. The worst thing that'll happen is that I'll get Boarded. I actually expect to. But all you did was bring to my attention something that you overheard. That's all you have to testify to. Okay?"

Connie frowned. So Cali was going to take on all of the risk. Typical. Not this time, though. "No, it's not okay. You're not going to make yourself the patsy for this. I'm in it up to my eyebrows and I'm going all the way with it. That means, as far as Colonel O'Neill or General Kerrigan's concerned, I was in on the planning on how to deal with those two, I was involved in the execution of said plan, and I have supported you completely. Got it?"

Cali's eyes glowed. Connie could tell she was touched by what she'd said. Still, the next words out of her mouth were, "I can't let you do that, Connie. I-"

Connie interrupted her. "You can't stop me. You need me to testify about what I heard in the library. Or you'll have no basis for your suspicions and why you did what you did. So zip it, Cali, and let's take those two assholes down."

Cali stared at Connie consideringly, as if she were a beagle that had jumped up and started to quote Shakespeare. The look faded into respect as a slow smile grew on her face. "Okay, if that's the way you want it."

"I do."

"I'm going over to call Colonel O'Neill then. Wish me luck."

"Good luck, Cali."

Connie watched as Cali headed towards the door. Then something occurred to her. "Wait!" Cali turned back towards her. "You didn't tell me anything about what happened with Gator. I'm going to want all of the juicy details when you get back."

Cali flashed a smile. "Sure thing." Then she was gone.

Connie sat in front of her desk thinking about what the next few days would bring. She knew there was going to be hell to pay over this. She just hoped that whatever happened didn't result in the two of them getting the boot as well for conduct unbecoming.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Jack sat at his desk, throwing balled up pieces of paper at a trash can he'd set up on the other side of the room as a make-shift basketball goal. He was bored with a capital "B". There weren't any missions for another four days. There hadn't been any emergencies for two weeks now. It was making the adrenaline junkie side of himself a little stir crazy. Or maybe just crazy, Jack thought, before getting up and picking up the thirty or so wads of paper that he missed the trash can with.

The thirty or so wads of paper that should be the last five months worth of reports, but weren't. Or rather, they each were a sentence or two's worth of report. That was where he'd stopped with each of them. Writing reports was just so damn boring. On the other hand, helping those young soldiers who had been training to fight to the death for Apophis had been the opposite of boring. Jack wondered how Rogers was doing now.

Just then, the phone rang. Saved, Jack thought gratefully, although with his luck it would be Hammond calling him in for another raking over the coals for not finishing his reports. Then again, he deserved a break after the last few days of boredom.

"O'Neill here."

"Colonel O'Neill? This is Cadet Summers. I... uh... need to talk to you."

His cadet had called him. That couldn't be good. Jack hoped that she wasn't going to try to get out of the assignment he'd given her. If so, she was going to be in extra trouble for waiting until the last minute. Jack already regretted sponsoring her. If Summers hadn't done the assignment he'd given her, Jack was going to drop her. Best to get it over with quickly. He leaned back in his chair as he contemplated his reply.

"Cadet Summers, is this about the work I assigned you? Because that assignment is non-negotiable."

"No, sir, it's not. I've already finished the assignment you gave me. It's about something else. Something I found out. About a fellow cadet, or rather two fellow cadets. I didn't know who else to tell what I'd found. So, I wanted to talk to you, since you told me to call if I ever needed anything."

The girl's voice was stressed. It was also a sign of just how upset she was that she'd lapsed back into speaking with contractions, a big no-no for a smack. Something was wrong. Jack sat up straight and asked, "I did tell you that, so let's have it. What happened?"

Jack sat there in growing disbelief as Summers spoke. Finally, he interrupted her. "Hold on. I'll be there in a couple of hours or so. In the meantime, I want you to go grab dinner at the mess, then go back to your room. You and Cadet Perez wait for me there. I'll be bringing someone with me. Then we'll all go talk to General Kerrigan. You got all that, Summers?"

Jack could practically hear her come to attention over the phone. "Yes, sir!"

"I'll see you in one hour, Cadet. O'Neill out." Jack hung up the phone, then silently cursed. He had thought he was making a mistake sponsoring Summers. Now, he knew he hadn't. Still, it was going to be a huge mess to straighten out. And there was going to be fall out. For everyone involved.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Major Samantha Carter sat in her lab working on her experiment. That she'd done this particular experiment twice already didn't bother her. Running a naquadah reactor to its limits never got old. Even if the reactor in question was old, small, and surplus. Just then, Colonel O'Neill came striding into her lab, obviously in a hurry.

"Saddle up, Carter, I've got a mission for us."

Sam was mystified. "Sir? P4X-3997 isn't until next week. Has something happened? Have one of the SG teams run into problems out in the field?" If so, she'd better get ready, Sam thought, already starting to shut the reactor down. Then she stopped at Jack's words.

"No, no, nothing like that. Everyone here's fine. That was why I was bored. I'm not any longer, though. I just got a call from Cadet Summers."

Carter stared. Where had she heard that name before? Right. "That sma... err, that fourth-class cadet you were sponsoring. What happened? Is she all right?"

"You can call her a smack, Carter. After all, you graduated from the Zoo just like I did. Anyway, my smack, Summers, is in trouble."

Carter felt frustrated, but managed to stop her initial, borderline insubordinate reply. After a second, she spoke, "Sir, I don't see what this has to do with me. I_You_/I chose to sponsor a 'smack,' not me. You may have roped Daniel into helping you with her, but I'm not biting. I-"

Jack sighed. "For cryin' out loud, Carter, this is important. _And_ something you'll be interested in. She-"

Screw insubordination. "With all due respect, sir, I still don't see what this has to do with me. I-"

"Summers found a date rape ring and an organized cheating ring, both operating out of the Zoo. Both being run by Firsties."

Sam, who had been about to speak, stopped. A date rape ring? A cheating ring? Either was a horrible situation. Together they raised it from horrible to catastrophic. To both the reputation and the effectiveness of the Academy. With the Goa'uld threat looming, the Air Force was even more in need of talented young officers. If something detrimental happened to the Academy, the pipeline of those needed officers into the ranks of the Air Force could be disastrously diverted. It galled her that Jack was right, but Sam didn't waste any time on recriminations.

"I understand, sir. Give me five minutes to shut the reactor down. Then I'll be ready to go." Sam hit buttons and switches numbly, while thinking about what Jack had said. In the meantime, she heard Jack on her phone, trying to reach General Kerrigan.

"Colonel O'Neill here, Airman. I need to set up an appointment with the General immediately.

"I know what time it is."

"This is an emergency, Airman."

"Yes, I know that the General is probably eating dinner. I would like to as well, but I can't. So call him up. He'll want to hear what I have to say."

"Son, the last thing you want to do is stall me. It's 1830 hours right now. I'll be there by 2000 hours with the emergency in tow. Am I clear?"

"Thank you, Airman."

Carter was done and grabbed her jacket. "You were a little hard on that airman, weren't you, sir?"

Jack ran his fingers through his hair. "Maybe. But I don't have time for his CYA attitude. Worse, I can't call a national emergency and pull rank that way. I mean, just because the reputation of the Academy is under a severe threat..."

Jack looked stressed as he trailed off. Moving alongside him down the corridor, Sam tried to reassure him. "Sir, I'm sure it can't be that bad."

Jack bit off a harsh laugh. "No, Carter, it can be exactly that bad. Summers found a large supply of GHB in a cadet's footlocker along with incriminating files on that cadet's computer. His roommate had similar files on his computer and a large supply of tests with answer keys in _his_ footlocker. Those incriminating files contained names of customers. There was even a..."

They hit the elevators together. "What, sir?"

"There was a list of female cadets with asterisks next to them. Summers didn't draw any conclusions, but the answer is obvious and disturbing. Those are certainly rape victims."

The elevator doors opened. "I don't understand, sir. How did Summers get involved in all of this?"

Together, they moved through the various security checkpoints. Sam knew Jack was waiting until they got in the car to answer her question. Finally, though, they were inside and speeding away from the Mountain.

"Sir?"

Jack sighed. "Her roommate, a Cadet Perez, overheard the two cadets engaging in a crude discussion about Cadet Summers."

Sam hid her frown. She knew firsthand about the 'boys will be boys' attitude of the Zoo and the Air Force in general when it came to male/female relations. That some of those relations bordered upon or were flat out sexual harassment was a fact of life, one that any female officer had to be prepared to face. The Air Force's attitude was still far better than that of the Army, Navy, or Marines. However, that didn't make it right.

"Sir, that doesn't explain how Cadet Summers found out about the GHB."

Watching the road as he drove, Jack stared straight ahead. Finally, he replied, "Some of the things Perez heard were pretty bad. Enough to make Summers and her suspect that there was more to the situation than two male cadets boasting. So Summers suckered the one who wanted to scr... err, sleep with her into letting her into his room. She convinced him to let her watch television for a while. He left her alone after a while and she searched his room, finding the evidence."

Carter started. "Sir! She'll be disciplined."

"Yes, she will. It's an honors infraction, but she didn't do it to steal or anything else underhanded. That's what I'll argue with Kerrigan. Still, she won't be coming out of this smelling like a rose."

Carter asked, "Will you still continue to sponsor her, sir?"

Jack's eyes gleamed. For the first time since they'd gotten in the car, his face was alive with emotions. Sam just wasn't sure what those emotions were. Then she found out. "Are you kidding me, Carter? Hell, yes, I'm still sponsoring her. Short of her getting kicked out of the Zoo completely, which I won't let happen, there's nothing that could stop me."

"Sir, I thought-"

Jack smiled crookedly. "I know, Carter. But, even though Summers did something pretty stupid searching their room, she's still exactly what I want for the SGC. She acted quickly. She acted decisively. _And_ she didn't shy away from making a hard choice. Nor did she choose to follow the easy path. She could of kept silent, but she didn't. She did the right thing. More to the point, her roommate supports her completely. I got that much from our conversation, reading between the lines. It's not easy to teach the kind of leadership that Summers has. She comes by it naturally. And I want it for our command."

Sam considered what Jack had said, and brought up something that was bothering her. "Still, sir, she did illegally search their room."

"Yeah, right. For cryin' out loud, Carter, we've all done worse since joining the SGC. I've done far, far worse back in Special Ops. And we're the _good_ guys. Also officers, who are supposed to know right from wrong. Not something a smack should have that good a handle on. But my smack does."

His smack. Sam mulled over a wide range of responses to what Jack had said. One by one, she discarded them. Ultimately, she agreed with him. Not that the ends justify the means, that way lay tyranny and chaos. Rather, that sometimes you had to take a shortcut or two with the rules. To resolve an issue that threatened a lot of people. If there was a list of names of women who had been raped, which Sam didn't really doubt, then for their sakes, what Summers had done had its justification.

Finally, Sam said, "I agree, sir. Let's go take care of 'your' smack."

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Buffy jumped at the sharp knock on her door. She leaped to her feet. Exchanging a worried look with Connie, she went to answer it. She'd prepped Connie on how she had come by the information, basically searching Sheridan's room while he left her alone to watch television. Still, Buffy was worried.

Opening the door, she saw Colonel O'Neill. "Atten-Hut!" Buffy snapped rigidly to attention. Behind her she could hear Connie do the same.

Colonel O'Neill walked by her into their room, followed by a female officer wearing the insignia of an Air Force Major. Both stood there for a moment before the Colonel finally said, "At ease, Cadets."

Buffy fell into the parade rest position. She wasn't going to chance underestimating how 'at ease' Colonel O'Neill meant for her to be. Apparently, she'd gauged it correctly since he nodded in approval.

"All right now, Cadet Summers. Why don't you give me a few more details before our appointment that I arranged with General Kerrigan comes due?"

Nervous, Buffy started, "Sir, it started like this..."

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Sam stood watching as Buffy recounted what she'd found out and how she had gone about it. She had to admit it wasn't what she would have done, but then not everyone had a general for a father. It was daring, decisive, and completely the wrong way to deal with the situation. Summers should have gone to one of her teachers who was also an officer and started an investigation that way. There would definitely be repercussions. How bad, depended on whether they were able to keep her name out of it. Of course that would be up to the general. How he would feel would be very interesting.

Cadet Summers finally reached a stopping point. And Jack finally seemed to remember that he had someone with him. "Thank you, Cadet. By the way, this is Major Samantha Carter. She's smarter than all three of us combined. That's why I brought her along. I figure that even if I miss something, she'll be sure to see it. Major Carter, this is Cadets Summers and Perez. I think you can tell them apart since Summers is the one in trouble. Major, if there's anything you would like to ask them before we go see General Kerrigan, now's the time."

Sam watched amused as Summers gulped, but stayed silent. "I would like to say it's nice to meet you both and under other circumstances, I would. But this is a serious situation. Cadet Summers, how did you know to look for the passwords where you found them?"

"Ma'am, I had a friend back in high school who was a ge... skilled with computers. She told me of an old trick that lazy people use to hide their passwords. That is how I found Cadet Merryman's password, ma'am."

"And Cadet Sheridan's?"

"Dumb luck, ma'am. I opened the computer case to look for contraband and spotted them inside the case."

"Dumb luck indeed. And the footlockers? Why look there?"

Sam watched as Summers' face reddened. This should be interesting, she though. "Ma'am, I ... ah... had a similar hiding place myself back in high school. Theirs was more complicated, but still worked similarly enough that I was able to find them, ma'am."

"For what, cadet? Drugs?"

"No, ma'am!"

Sam raised her eyebrows, waiting.

"My diary, ma'am. Some weapons I used in my night time activities."

Sam glanced at Jack, wondering what that was about. He shrugged. "I'll tell you about that later, Major. Cadet Perez."

"Yes, sir!"

Sam watched as Jack grilled Perez the same way he had grilled Summers. She listened while glancing over the room. It was neat and tidy, identical to every other cadet's room, including her own when she had been a cadet. The only non-reg item Sam spotted was a pink pig poking its head out from behind one of the cadets' computer cases. Amused, Sam decided not to make an issue of it.

"So Cadet Perez, you thought that it was a good idea for Cadet Summers to mislead Cadet Sheridan, giving herself access to his room? Is that right?"

"Y..."

Buffy interrupted. "Sir, Cadet Perez did not know what I had planned. She only reported the initial conversation, sir. I take full responsibility, sir."

Sam watched as Jack's eyes narrowed. "Don't interrupt again, Cadet Summers. Now do I need to repeat the question, Cadet?"

"No, sir! You do not need to repeat the question, sir! I knew that Cadet Summers had planned to search Cadet Sheridan's room, sir! I did not know how she would do so, sir!"

"Thank you, Cadet."

"Permission to speak, sir!"

Sam raised her eyebrows at Perez's request. The girl was only going to get herself in deeper by volunteering more information. She could tell from Jack's quick frown that he agreed. It was up to him as to what he would do.

"Granted, Cadet."

"Cadet Summers is a fine, upstanding member of the Air Force Academy, sir. I have nothing but respect for her, sir. I support her one hundred percent in the actions she has taken in this situation, sir."

"I see, Cadet. Anything else to add?"

"No, sir!"

"Let's go. We need to be at the General's office by 2000 hours." With that, he led the way out the door, followed by Cadet Summers, Cadet Perez, and Carter.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Buffy groaned. It was going to be bad. Very, very bad. She lay in bed thinking about the meeting. The meeting with the General had not gone well. General Kerrigan, on hearing their stories, had gone ballistic. Without so much as raising his voice or using one single cuss word, he had made both her and Connie feel about three inches tall. Then he had grilled them both. What had they seen? Why had they done what they did? Why had they drawn those conclusions from the conversation they'd overheard? Next, he had gone over in detail what the repercussions would be to the Academy and to them personally. Finally, he had dismissed them and told them to report back to his office at 0700 hours for more questioning.

Both Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter had stayed behind to speak to him more. Throughout Buffy's inquisition, she had been aware of the silent support from the Colonel next to her. No matter what he had said to her or what he thought about what she'd done personally, he had only supported Buffy when he spoke about the situation.

When the General had used "scatter-brained, unthinking children" to describe their reaction to the overheard conversation in question, the Colonel had responded with "calm, analytical, and emotionless analysis of the pertinent data." When the General had used "impulsive, reckless behavior" in describing Buffy's search of Sheridan's room, the Colonel had called it "a daring, decisive reaction."

Still, she had days of this to go at the least and then there were still the consequences to deal with. General Kerrigan hadn't pulled any punches. He'd basically told her that even if she wasn't bounced from the Academy by an Honor Board, she would be lucky to last a semester once everyone found out what she'd done.

Buffy hadn't really given all that much thought to how the rest of the Zoo would behave once the story was out. As she had stood there listening, she'd realized that Connie hadn't either. The idea that every single first, second, and third class cadet knew that she and Connie had been responsible for as many as seventy-five of their fellow classmates leaving the Zoo was daunting to say the least. There would be hell to pay.

She was just getting to sleep when a voice rose out of the dark. "Cali?"

"What?"

"Do you think we're going to get bounced?"

Buffy considered Connie's question seriously. Would they get kicked out? It wouldn't be fair, but Buffy had learned the hard way to the tune of over five hundred dead, that life wasn't fair.

"I don't know. I don't think we will, but the General was pretty mad. I liked him a lot more the first time I met him."

"I would have just as soon not met him. Know what I mean?"

Buffy dryly laughed. Connie's comment wasn't that funny, but at least it relieved the tension. After a moment, she said, "I know. But at this point, it's in the wind. Even if this costs us both our spots, it's a small price to pay to stop what was happening." Buffy hoped Connie was too angry at her for all of the trouble they were in. Ultimately, she wished Connie had just listened to her and stayed behind. Connie's next words were surprising.

"I agree. I want you to know I don't regret what I did. Not any of it. Well, maybe I shouldn't have interrupted the General when he was comparing you to a particularly loathsome type of scum found in cesspools."

Buffy couldn't help it. She started giggling. Once she started, she couldn't stop. Then Connie joined in. It only made it worse. Finally, after several minutes, they were both able to stop.

Buffy started to doze again, her tension somewhat relieved.

"Cali?"

"What?"

"You never did tell me what happened with Gator. I'm going to want details."

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

"Colonel, you are very close to insubordination. I know the value of what you do up in the Mountain, so I'm giving you a warning. Back off."

"With all due respect, General, no. Not until I get you to agree to keep Cadet Summers name out of the media. She doesn't deserve that." Jack wasn't backing down. He knew his smack was going to have take her lumps, but he wasn't going to let her get a deal this raw.

Kerrian sighed. "It's not a penalty, Colonel O'Neill. I just don't see how I can do it. The media are going to find out that we punished a cadet for searching another cadet's room. We're not going to be able to keep that a secret."

"You're going to throw them Cadet Summers, sir. You know she'll be hounded right of the Zoo if the other cadets find out she was the source of this. Hell, you _should_ be thanking her. How much worse would it have been if this didn't break for another three or four years? And it would have gotten out eventually. Stuff like this always does." Absently, Jack ran his fingers through his hair.

"Colon... Jack, I just don't see another way."

"Could I make a suggestion, sir?"

Both men turned to the other person in the room. Major Carter looked back, a serious expression on her face. At the General's nod, she began, "What if we try the following? General, the main reason you don't think the matter can be kept confidential is that Cadet Summers must be disciplined for searching Cadets Sheridan and Merryman's room, correct?" She waited until General Kerrigan nodded before continuing. "What if, instead of punishing Cadet Summers for searching their room, she get punished for the lesser charge of fraternizing with a cadet in her chain of command? If you went with the maximum punishment, which is seldom done, it would carry the same consequences. Would that satisfy you, General Kerrigan?"

"I believe it would, Major."

"Would it satisfy you, Colonel?"

"Well..." Jack backed down at the look on Carter's face. The one that said, "Don't be an idiot, sir." "Yes, that would satisfy me."

"Then can we agree, sirs?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

Jack eyed General Kerrigan from across his desk. Then the General surprised him by suddenly grinning and saying, "Thanks, Major. Don't look so surprised, Colonel. Just because I raked her over the coals doesn't mean I want her out. The way she took down that damn jarhead was beautiful. I'd hate to lose her."

"I wasn't aware that the General was there." Jack smiled as he thought rapidly about whether he'd seen General Kerrigan at the fight.

"I wasn't. But General Bradshaw of the 1st Marines had it taped and sent to me. Intending, I believe, to taunt me with our loss. But then Cadet Summers challenged his cadet and whipped his ass. Fortunately whoever he told to tape it and send it taped that too. So I have a complete copy."

"I'm sure that General Bradshaw wasn't too happy with his aide who did the taping."

"No, I imagine he's not." The two men shared a look then both grinned again.

"So I would like to see Cadet Summers stay. Now as far as punishment goes, I think it would be appropriate to confine her to base for the rest of her time as a smack. She can get out for the two-week summer break."

Jack was outraged. "No way is that right, sir! Cadet Summers-"

Carter interrupted, "Sirs, if I may offer a suggestion?"

Jack sighed, "Go ahead, Carter. You might as well stick your nose in here, as well."

If she was offended by his brusque tone, she gave no indication as she said, "Take away her Christmas and Spring Breaks. Give her extra drill twice a week. If you want to be generous, give her Christmas Day off-base. I know her mother lives in Colorado Springs, so that way she could spend Christmas with her family, then be back on base by 2230 hours."

"Gee, Carter, why don't you draw and quarter her, too." Jack's sarcasm was wasted as he saw General Kerrigan nodding his head.

"I like it, Major. Colonel, I'll tell you what. I won't even make your cadet testify. We can call it an anonymous tip."

"You sure that'll fly, General?" Jack was surprised. He hadn't expected that much leniency.

"Just make sure she's at the next Unarmed Combat Championships. I plan to attend and bet on her to win. Maybe I can drum up another match with a jarhead. You never know."

"No, you don't, sir."

"Well I for one am ready to call it a night. I would say thank you, but the two of you have stirred up a hornet's nest for me to deal with. So I'll just say good night."

"Good night, General."

"Night, sir."

_The next day..._

Buffy walked out of the administrative building in a daze. She wasn't testifying. Why wasn't she testifying? For that, there had been no explanation. Just a quick note from an overworked captain informing her to report to an Honor Board at 1500 hours. Otherwise, she was to attend her remaining classes like nothing happened.

Buffy was aware that something was going on as she headed towards her second class. Pockets of cadets were clustered all around the main thoroughfares in hot debate on some topic. Catching sight of a familiar face, Buffy hurried over.

"Billy, what is going?"

Cadet William Burnet, Billy to his friends, ran a smoothing hand down his overcoat. "You didn't hear, Cali?" His voice was low as if he didn't want to be overheard.

"Hear what?"

"They ran a drug dog through Vandy last night. It caught a whiff in Sheridan's room. So they tore his and Merryman's stuff apart. They found all kinds of crap. I mean I heard they found guns, drugs, booze, you name it, they found it. They're on their way out. Merryman _and_ Sheridan. The Powers are coming down on everyone. They had lots of people going in to be grilled about stuff. They're searching lots of room. This is heavy stuff." Then Billy leaned close to Cali. "Like rape and murder stuff."

Buffy's eyes goggled. What? What kind of rumors were flying around? "You have got to be shitting me."

"No way. It's the real deal. I heard it from Boozer, who heard it first-hand from his squadron sergeant. Heads are going to roll. How did you not hear about this? And where were you to, Chem?"

Buffy grimaced. She might as well get the story out. "I got called in for being in a Firstie's room. They're Boarding me this afternoon"

Billy whistled. "That's fast. I bet it's because they trying to clear out all of the small fry before this deal goes down." Then with a grin, he said, "Sheesh, Cali, I always got the impression you weren't into guys. I only see you hanging with Connie."

Buffy shot right back at him, "What makes you think it was a guy's room I was in?" She let him drool over his fantasy for about ten seconds before cruelly finishing, "Actually, though, I do like guys, just not dweebs like you."

Billy shrugged. "Too bad. Now that would have made a good story. Probably provided whack material for the next month, too."

Buffy smirked. "So sorry I couldn't help."

Billy headed off, with one parting shot. "Trust me, Cali, you already have, lots of times."

Buffy felt herself turning red. Damn, but that was embarrassing, thinking of a bunch of lonely, horny guys masturbating while fantasizing about her. Not that it surprised her in the slightest after what she'd heard during her period of telepathy back in high school. If these guys were anything like those guys... Buffy shuddered at the thought. Then glancing at the time, started to jog to class.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Connie heard the door open. Turning around, she watch Cali walk in with a dazed expression on her face, walk over to her bed, and flop down on it face down. Then she didn't move. Wow, Connie thought, it must have been bad.

"What happened, Cali?"

"Idontwannatakabotit." Cali's voice was muffled by the pillow she'd pulled over her head.

After a couple of minutes, Connie decided the best way to deal with Cali was to let her wallow in self-pity for a while. She'd talk when she was ready. Turning back to her computer, Connie went back to typing her report.

Connie was just finishing up the table of contents, when Cali's bed erupted. Startled, she turned to see Cali jump up and throw her pillow across the room. Then she grabbed her bedspread and tossed it into the floor, followed by her sheets, then the mattress itself. She jumped up and down on the mess, then turned and eyed Connie's bed.

"Don't even think about it! Cali, what happened. It couldn't have been that bad, could it?"

Cali turned and stared at Connie like she was insane. Then she sat down in the middle of her messed up bedding and burst into tears. Connie stared in disbelief. Cali was crying? Cali, who had gone through BCT without a single complaint, was crying? Who had fought a marine more than twice her size and had the black and blue ribs to prove it? What had they done to her. Connie quickly sat next to her and hugged her, murmuring comforting words into her ears. "There, there. It's going to be okay."

After a few minutes, Cali pushed back from her. Connie looked with concern at her tear-stained face. Self-consciously, Cali wiped her eye with her uniform sleeve and smiled ruefully. "Not too tough now, am I?"

"What happened?"

"I met with the board today. They raked me over the coals. They accused me of all kinds of stuff. Pretty much called me a slut. I took it. I mean, what else could I do? They kept me out of the investigation, which I wasn't expecting, so I figured this was my penance. Then they got to the punishment phase."

"What did they do? I mean it was just some time spent in his room."

"They pretty much let me know that they thought I was sleeping with Sheridan." Ignoring Connie's "What!" Buffy continued, "So they hit me pretty hard with penalties. I have to do two days of extra drill each week. I have to write a paper on why it's a bad idea for smacks to date first class cadets. I also lose my Christmas and Spring Break privileges. I won't be able to go with you back to Miami in March, Connie. I'm sorry."

Connie hugged her. "It's cool, girlfriend. You won't be missing much."

"Just the ocean, warm enough to actually swim in."

Connie frowned. "Well... yeah."

Cali slowly got up and started to put her bed back together. "You know the thing I'm going to miss the most is spending Christmas break with my mom. No offense."

"None taken. I'm going to spend it with my dad and brothers. Plus whatever aunts, uncles, and cousins show up. Actually, there'll probably be thirty or forty people there."

"They did say they would let me out Christmas day. Like they were throwing me a bone. At least I get to spend that with Mom."

"See? That's not so bad. And you still have Sundays to receive visitors, right?"

"Yeah. They didn't mess with those, although that asshole Brueller wanted me to lose those as well." Buffy looked so woebegone that Connie knew there was more.

"What else happened, Cali?"

For a second, Cali looked like she would burst into tears again. Then she nodded. "I ran into Cadet Pierson on the way back. He wasn't too happy. Apparently, he got a visit from Brueller, who asked him about his relationship with me. He basically thinks I told the Board about him kissing me. And Brueller apparently told him that I was probably sleeping with Sheridan."

"Jesus Christ. What an asshole. So Gator was pissed?"

"I think you can safely say that. I don't know what's going to happen with him now. I wasn't exactly looking for a boyfriend, you know? It was just that he was so nice and normal and sweet and-"

"Had a great ass?" Connie exchanged a look with Cali, then both girls laughed.

Nodding her agreement, Cali smiled and said, "Yeah, that too." She finished putting her bed back together in silence.

"You feel like grabbing some chow?"

"Sure. I'm starving." Cali grinned as she said it.

"When are you not?" Connie dodged Cali's playful swat. "Did you hear the latest rumor? Sheridan and Merryman were Iraqi spies and were going to blow up the Zoo."

_Two days later..._

"Did you hear, Cali? Burns, Weinstein, and Blackmon are gone. They got the boot. That makes like over fifty now." Billy's face was flushed and worried.

"I didn't know that. Did you, Connie?" From next to Buffy, Connie shook her head. That actually made fifty-eight, Buffy thought. But it was winding down, now. She doubted anyone else was going to be gone. It left at least another forty-five unpunished for the cheating. Buffy still wondered if they were going to get any rape convictions. Somehow, she doubted it. Anyone brave enough to come forward would probably have already done so. And after so long, it made convictions difficult to obtain. Combine that with lingering doubts as to the effects on their careers was going to keep a lot of women from reporting.

"You hear how Merryman tried to escape and they had to taser him? Sheridan got pepper-sprayed." Connie's eyes showed dark amusement as she told the latest rumor of asshole one and two.

"Oh, yeah, I did. They both heading to Leavenworth, according to my source."

Yeah, right, Buffy thought. They were both going home to nice families and probably off to another college so they can do it again. If Anyanka were still around, Buffy probably could have wished some vengeance on them. Buffy wondered if anyone had taken over as the patron saint of scorned women.

_Two days later..._

Numbly, Buffy walked along, trying to avoid thinking. Well it was mostly over. Everything but the consequences that is. Sheridan and Merryman were gone, both having requested to leave the Zoo, said request granted. They could still find themselves facing criminal charges as the investigation into the sexual assaults continued. Not that Buffy expected many women to come forward. Not those who wanted a career in the Air Force. Still, maybe enough would come forward to put the two men away.

No matter. At least they had lots of company. Of the names on Merryman's 'buyer's' list, all but two had also resigned from the Academy. Those two, both third-class cadets, had been bounced for 'conduct unbecoming.'

There were going to be sweeping changes in the Zoo. Over the next few months, they were implementing mandatory sexual harassment and sexual assault reporting, part of the "Agenda for Change." Those changes had been pushed through in advance of a more solid detailed recommendation to be made at the end of the investigation, which probably wouldn't finish until sometime late next year. Buffy felt that she had accomplished something at least.

Of course, they had whitewashed most of the whole cheating scandal. All of the cheaters who had also been on Merryman's GHB list were gone, of course. Of the remainder, the cheaters who were not also rapists, only a quarter of the names on the list that Sheridan had on his computer were gone. It had infuriated Buffy that they were going to get away with it. She knew why the Powers had done it, or thought she did, but it still burned her.

"Penny for your thoughts, Cadet?"

Buffy looked up at the person asking the question. She met the eyes of her companion, who had been walking alongside her as she thought over what had happened. "Colonel O'Neill, sir, my thoughts would be overpriced at the cost of a penny."

"Just spit it out, Cadet. Tell me what's eating you."

Buffy burst out, "They didn't do hardly anything to those cadets who cheated. I mean, none of the ones still here are even going to get so much as a note in their jackets about what happened."

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Jack looked down into the face of the young woman walking beside him as she talked about what was bothering her. Truth be told, it bothered him too. Still, the consequences were just too grave to start a witch hunt at the Zoo. Jack wished he knew how to explain that to his cadet. He took a stab at it. "Cadet Summers, I know that it doesn't seem fair or right that those cadets who participated in cheating are going essentially unpunished." Jack ignored Summers' muttered "No, sir," and continued, "That's because it isn't fair or right. I'm going to let you in on something that I think you already have a handle on: Life's not fair."

Jack could tell that Summers wasn't buying what he was selling, but he need to make his point. "Life's not fair. It's not fair when some kid in Somalia gets shot by crazy militia and it's not fair when you receive more punishment than people who did things that were far worse than what you did."

Summers nodded and said, "I understand that, sir. I am not complaining about what happened to me. I broke the rules and accept the consequences. But those cadets cheated and-"

Jack broke in. "Should also accept the consequences of what they did. I agree, they should. In a perfect world, they would. Of course in a perfect world, they wouldn't have done it to begin with. The thing is, Cadet, that the Academy can't go around punishing people without some burden of proof. They kicked all of the people out that they found corroborating evidence on."

Jack decided to let her know how he felt about what she'd done. "I just wanted you to know how proud of you I am."

Good, he'd startled her. "Proud, sir?"

Jack smiled. "Yes, proud. I can't tell you how glad I am that I made the decision to sponsor you. Cadet Summers, you are a credit to your squadron and to the Academy as a whole. I have absolutely no doubt you'll be an exemplary officer. I look forward to serving with you when you graduate."

"Thank you, sir. I... thank you, sir."

"Don't mention it."

The two of them walked a little farther along. Finally, Jack asked, "Have you told your mother about the situation?" Amused, Jack watched as Summers visibly gulped.

"No, sir."

"You're going to have to tell her."

Buffy sighed. "I know, sir. But I don't want to hurt her."

Stopping, Jack put his hand on Summers' shoulder, halting her. Turning her towards him, Jack said, "It'll hurt more if you don't tell her. As quickly as possible. Besides, it's only one Christmas break, and you will at least see her Christmas day."

Jack watched as his cadet's face underwent a gamut of emotions ranging from sadness to extreme anger. Ultimately, she just looked resigned. "You are right, sir. I will call my mother and tell her on Sunday. I cannot place a call any earlier than that."

Jack smiled. "Instead of doing that, how about this Saturday when we meet for our monthly dinner, I drive you down to your mother's house before we eat? That way you can let her know in person. How does that sound?"

Summers' eyes lit up. She practically squealed in her excitement. "Ohhh, thank you, sir!"

"Well, here's my ride. Why don't you head back and get ready for phys ed? I know you have unarmed combat this afternoon."

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" She came to attention, did a snappy about face, then hurried off. Jack watched her until Carter pulled up alongside him. Opening the door, he got in.

"So how are you feeling, Colonel?"

Jack sighed. "Pretty crappy, actually. She got a raw deal."

Carter snorted. "She got off pretty light actually. An Honor Board-"

"Honor, smonor, Cali got a raw deal."

"Cali, sir?"

Jack smiled crookedly. "That's the nickname bestowed upon her by her roommate. They all call her that, even her unarmed combat coach. Nothing complex, the kid's from California."

"Ahh, I see, sir. Still-"

"Not a word more, Carter. Say what you want, you're not going to convince me. More to the point, Cali knows she got a raw deal. And you know what?"

"What is that, sir?"

"She never squealed about it even once. I expected it, mind you. I was ready to pretty much give her the 'Speech.' But I didn't have to. She's not a whiner. I should have known she wouldn't be. I read her jacket and everything. After what happened last spring, the kid knows life's not fair. She knew that before I said anything. She also knows that sometimes you get handed a pretty crappy situation and just have to do your best with it. She'll be fine."

"I'm sure she will, sir."

They drove along in companionable silence. After a time, Carter spoke again. "Colonel?"

"What?"

"I just wanted to say, I liked her."

"Mmmm?"

"I know I only just met her, but from what I saw, I liked her. I think she's a credit to the Zoo and will make a fine officer."

Jack smiled at Carter's earnestness. But then she was always that way. It was one of the things he liked about her. If things were different... But they weren't.

"Thanks, Carter."

As they parked, Jack had a sudden thought. Stopping, he cocked his head at Carter.

"Sir?"

"You know, in all of the excitement, I just realized that I hadn't gotten back to Danny-boy about the paper that Cali wrote. I don't even know if he liked it." Damn, Jack thought, he should have checked with Daniel earlier. Now he was going to have to run around and find Daniel as quickly as possible before his meeting with Summers. He didn't want her to think he wasn't reading those hellish papers he was assigning her after all.

"Daniel loved it."

"He did?" Okay, that was a surprise.

Carter smiled mischievously. "Yes, sir. To quote Daniel, he said something like this: 'If it were for a graduate class on history, he would award the person an A minus, but seeing how it was a college freshman writing it, he would up that to an A plus with extra credit as well.' He also said that for a school like the Academy that produces 'neo-barbs' it was an excellent analysis of how _non_-military causes sank the Roman Empire."

Jack grinned in satisfaction. That was his smack. Then he frowned. "Hey, who's he calling neo-barbs, anyway? Damn pencil-pushing geek..."

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

**Author's Note:** The events that took place with the rape 'ring' that involved Merryman and Sheridan are completely fictional. However, there was a very real problem with sexual assaults going unreported at the USAFA, which culminated in a scandal in 2003. Because of this, they instituted several reforms, some of which I included in this story. You can read more about it here: a href= wiki/2003_US_Air_Force_Academy_sexual_assault_scandalUSAFA sexual assault scandal/a


	14. Chapter Fourteen—Finals

**Chapter Fourteen—Finals**

Buffy slept in her room clutching Mr. Gordo. The dream slowly wormed its way into her subconscious...

"_Cadet Summers, if you would come down to help demonstrate this principle, please?" Colonel Jameson asked. Obediently, Buffy walked down to the front of class and lay on the desk there._

"_Cadet Pierson, if you would also help?" Gator smiled and walked over to where Buffy lay. What was Gator doing in her Chem 141 class? _

_She stared up at him nervously, aware of the other cadets watching. "Everyone's watching."_

_Gator leaned in and smiled. "If you kiss me, the sun will go down." Confused, Buffy kissed him. Then she was alone, standing in a dark, gloomy hall._

_From nearby, she heard a little girl singing. Moving towards the sound, she saw a girl jumping rope and singing, _

"_Can't even shout. _

_Can't even cry. _

_The Gentlemen are coming by. _

_Looking in windows. _

_Knocking on doors. _

_They need to take seven, _

_And they might take yours. _

_Can't call to Mom. _

_Can't say a word. _

_You're gonna die screaming, _

_But you won't be heard..."_

_Then there was suddenly a grinning skull-like face staring at Buffy. _

Buffy awoke with a shiver. Okay, she decided, that was too weird for words.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Buffy stared at CNN. She had been in Arnold Hall and decided to catch a few minutes of the news so that she'd have something to say if she were called upon for a news report at lunch. That's when she saw it. The entire town of Sunnydale was under quarantine because everyone had gotten laryngitis. Talk about weird. It worried Buffy, and the creepy dream she'd received the other night had to be about Sunnydale. "Can't even shout, can't even cry..." had to be referencing the laryngitis. Plus the white skull-faced guys? Major creepy.. That had been the oddest dream Buffy had ever received since becoming the Slayer.

She decided to just keep an eye on things for now. If it looked like it could be spreading, then she would decide if there was anything that needed to be done.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

"Cadet Summers! Give us the news!"

Buffy stood up from her lunch. "Sir, the news is as follows: The town of Sunnydale, California has been afflicted with an epidemic of laryngitis, with apparently the entire population affected. The CDC has quarantined the entire town until further notice, sir."

Westerman rolled his eyes. "Summers, you can do better than that. If you're going to make up a story about your home town, at least make it-"

Greeley whispered something into Westerman's ear. He blinked a couple of times, then said, "Cadet Summers, you owe me one mile with your pack on for not specifying this was a CNN story!"

Buffy shouted, "Yes, sir!"

Sitting down, she silently fumed as another smack was called out. Damned if she did and damned if she didn't, Buffy thought. Oh well, hopefully she wouldn't get called upon again for a day or two.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

"Cadet Summers! Give us the news!"

Grrrrr. Buffy stood up from her breakfast. "Sir, the news is as follows: CNN states Sunnydale's laryngitis epidemic only lasted one day. Everything is now back to normal. CNN believes it was just a huge hoax, sir."

Westerman yawned. "Sure, sure. You're from a weird town is all I can say. Cadet Ripley! Give us the news!"

Buffy sat back down and continued eating. Whatever had hit Sunnydale hadn't lasted long. Only one day according to CNN. It had been short enough they were even calling it a hoax. Which was good. Still, Buffy had found out from the Sunnydale Examiner's website that two people had been found with their hearts cut.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

_Cheyenne Mountain..._

Daniel jogged down the hallway to catch up to Jack. "Hey, Jack." He appeared deep in thought.

Jack O'Neill gave him a level stare. "Did you need something, Daniel?"

Daniel blushed. Flustered, he stammered out, "Uh... y-yes I did. I wanted to talk about the last assignment you received from Cadet Summers."

Jack's eyebrows went up. He'd wondered when Daniel would try to track him down after hearing how good he thought the paper was from Carter. Now if Daniel would just get to the point. They had a mission that Jack hoped to be back from before his meeting Saturday night with Summers. Plus, he'd promised to back her up when she told her mom that she was confined to base for the foreseeable future. Technically, she could apply for a pass for a Saturday evening or anytime on a Sunday, but the odds were pretty high against it being granted. Since he was her sponsor, Jack supposed he should get her out of there on a Sunday. Maybe have a BBQ at his house? Or they could always do Jack's favorite and go fishing.

"Sure, Daniel, but get to it. We only have forty-five minutes until we head out."

Daniel nodded and said, "What I was really wondering was if I could speak to her directly?"

Jack frowned. "Why would you want to do that?"

Excited, Daniel babbled, "Cadet Summers referenced a work that I've never seen before. I've heard of it, but it's pretty rare. I was wondering how she got her hands on a copy. It's called _Pax Romana_ and was written in the 4th Century A.D. by a powerful Roman senator. Anyway I really wanted to read it if she had a copy."

Jack sighed. "Daniel, I promise that I'll ask her. But I'd rather you didn't meet with her."

Daniel gave him a puzzled look. "Jack, if you're worried about her finding out that you're not reading her papers-"

"I read it." Take that, Jack thought smugly.

Daniel stared in amazement. "You read her paper on the fall of the Roman empire? All of it?"

Jack nodded. "I felt it was the least I could do if she went to all of the trouble to write the damn thing. Besides, Carter made me feel guilty for having you grade it."

Daniel smiled. "I don't really mind. I mean I did at first, but that was a very well-written paper. She didn't even have any typos. Well, one, but then you don't expect many eighteen-year- old's to know how to spell antidisestablishmentarianism or to even know when to use it. She was making some comparison between ancient Roman and medieval Christian churches and tossed the Church of England in as a third example. "

Jack shook his head. "Spell it? I don't even know how to say it." Hopefully, Daniel would leave off asking to see Summers.

Doggedly, Daniel went back to his question. "Why don't you want me to meet with Cadet Summers?"

"Danny-boy, cut the girl some slack. She's just gotten hammered by an Honor Board after accidentally being involved with the most horrific stain on the Academy's honor in its entire history. The last thing she needs is to be hounded by you." Jack knew his answer was weak. The real reason was so much simpler. He didn't want Cali to meet all of his team because he found that he rather enjoyed having something that was just his. In a lot of ways, Cadet Summers was exactly what a certain Cadet O'Neill had been many years ago. And he felt oddly possessive of her.

It was funny, Jack thought. He'd only known Summers for a couple of months. He'd only met her a handful of times. Yet, he worried about her more than he did people he'd known for years. Jack tended to shy away from examining his deeper motivations for sponsoring Summers. Those lay too close to many other emotions he'd buried years ago. Yet anytime Jack thought about Summers, he got a warm feeling. Even now, picturing her face as she'd earnestly tried to explain how she felt about the fallout from the investigation, he smiled. Somehow, Summers had wormed her way into his heart, a feat that only one other person had managed in the last few years. That had been Skaara. After what happened to him, Jack had been doubly careful to guard himself. Still, he felt closer to Summers than anyone since Skaara or... Charlie. Jack felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he thought about why that was.

He knew he needed to come clean with himself, if no one else. Jack felt like Cadet Summers was the daughter he'd never had. There, he said it. From what little he'd been able to find out about Summers' father, Hank Summers was a real shit. He'd dumped her mom when Summers was a freshman in high school. Then he missed various birthdays and other holidays because of 'business,' a flimsy excuse at best. Somehow, Summers had turned out okay. She was what was described as one tough cookie, her martial arts just being the tip of the iceberg. And Jack wished that he had a kid just like her. Deep down, Jack knew he wasn't ever going to have any more kids, and not just because of his relationship with Carter. He might as well enjoy the single pseudo one that he had.

Jack became aware that Daniel had said something else that he'd missed. Raising his eyebrows quizzically, Daniel said, "Wow, Jack. I'm usually the one who's drifting in a daze. What's her name?"

Jack shook his head. "No one, Daniel."

"Well... okay, if you say so. Look, I understand if you want to keep your relationship with Cadet Summers private. I know it would embarrass you if it got out. So, I won't bother you anymore about-"

Jack interrupted. "There's no relationship with Summers, Daniel. I resent your implication."

Daniel looked taken aback. "Oh, you thought... NO. No, I meant that it's obvious you consider her one of your team. I didn't mean you were involved. Good lord, Jack, I've come to know you well enough to know you wouldn't let personal feelings get involved with your command."

Mollified, Jack muttered, "Okay, then. Just watch what you're saying. Rumors can be an ugly thing." And worse, when they're true. Jack was uncomfortably aware that he was pinning too many of his hopes on the fragile shoulders of one young woman. For God's sake, am I really that pathetic? Jack wondered.

Daniel continued, "It's just that Sam got to meet her and I haven't. I am one of your best friends after all. And..."

Jack tuned out the rest. It was going to be a long forty minutes until they gated out.

_The Air Force Academy..._

Again, Buffy dreamed...

_Buffy watched the young dark-haired girl say something rude to the older man. At least it looked rude from the way he reacted. He apparently gave as good he got, Buffy thought, watching the girl stomp off. Wow, she was immature, but then she only looked thirteen or fourteen, making it allowed._

_Without transition, Buffy was watching the same girl from earlier make a huge mess of her opulently furnished room. She threw stuff around for quite a while as Buffy stood there wondering exactly what she was supposed to be learning. Buffy wanted to throw something at her, but quickly found she couldn't pick anything up. After a while, a black-uniformed maid came in and started to clean up the mess. A look of regret on her face, the girl appeared to say something apologetic and left._

_Again they were somewhere else. This time, Buffy stood watching the dark-haired girl as she went through seemingly endless katas, while the older man supervised. There was something familiar about what they were doing. It was odd, but that last combination looked like something she should remember._

Buffy slowly opened her eyes. On the other side of the room, Connie snored softly. Buffy turned an eye ceiling-ward and griped, "Why can't you just tell me what you want me to know? I was only joking about ripping out Whistler's ribcage and wearing it as a hat."

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Buffy waited, freezing her butt off, for the Colonel to arrive. Finally, after a few minutes, she saw his car. That's what you get for getting here so early, she told herself sternly. Then she spoiled it by smiling at him as she got in.

"Well, Cadet, how have you been?"

"Good, sir. I hope you have been as well, sir?"

Jack grinned as he carefully pressed down on the gas. "Not bad, Cadet. Especially since I've been able to get some sleep without getting any calls about nefarious doings at the Academy."

Buffy knew she was blushing. He was deliberately making fun of her. Which should have pissed her off. Oddly, though, it didn't, instead engendering a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Sorry, sir."

"Don't be. At least I wasn't bored. By the way, I have some news for you on that front."

"News, sir?"

"About our friends Lloyd Merryman and John Sheridan. You'll be happy to know that both are sitting in jail in Colorado Springs waiting to get to get out on bail. Seems that seven different women have come forward pressing charges of sexual assault. I'm not sure that all of them will stick, but certainly something should."

Buffy felt slightly ill. "Yes, sir."

The Colonel raised his eyebrows. "I thought you would be happy about this, Cadet."

"Yes, sir. It is just... I thought I would be happy, too, sir. I wanted to see that happen, after all. But now..."

Shrewdly, he finished, "Now you find that it wasn't what you wanted after all."

Buffy nodded. "That is exactly it, sir. I want them to be punished. I just hate that for them to be punished, I have to find out for sure what happened to those women."

The Colonel nodded. "I wish I could tell you it will get easier. I won't lie to you, though. It never gets easier finding out just how poorly human beings treat one another. Enough about that, Cadet. How close are we to your house?"

Buffy thought briefly. "Take the highway another six miles. Then take a left at that next stop light, then a right at the first stop sign. It is the second house on your left."

"Easy enough."

They sat in companionable silence for the remainder of the trip. Then they were pulling up in front of Buffy's house. Buffy got out of the car and straightened her uniform jacket. Well, she thought, I hope Mom's in a good mood.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Jack walked beside his smack up the walk of the house. It had been shoveled recently and wasn't too slippery. The house was a relatively modest two story home. There were already Christmas lights up, blinking in a merry display of red, green, and blue. They nicely complimented the light spilling out from the large picture window centered in the front of the house. All in all, it felt warm and cheery.

From next to him, Summers produced a key which she used on the door. Walking in, she called, "Mom, it's me. I've got company with me."

She probably was trying to keep her mother from coming out in a mu mu or her nightgown, Jack thought in amusement. The she appeared and Jack almost choked.

When he had first heard about Summers' mother, he'd envisioned a matronly woman, perhaps a little short, like her daughter, with wide hips. She would be very... chubby. Jack didn't know why he saw her that way; he just did. The woman who stood in the hallway looking at them was almost exactly the opposite of what he'd imagined.

First off, she was tall, at least 5' 8". Instead of matronly, she was slender and willowy. Her hair was surprisingly long, and fell loosely around her shoulders. It was a medium brown in color with lighter highlights. Her eyes were a light brown that was almost amber. She was wearing a black, knee-length cocktail dress, that dipped just low enough to show the faintest hint of cleavage. Understated cosmetics emphasized an excellent bone structure. In short, she looked amazing.

She looked glad to see her daughter, but unsurprisingly also a little puzzled. "Buffy! And..."

From next to him, Jack heard Summers say, "Yep, it's me. Wow, Mom, you look great. What's the occasion?" Of course, she forgot to introduce him, a fact that her mother seemed to take in stride, based on the amused look she gave them both.

The woman smiled and spoke, "I have a small function at with the local Chamber of Commerce tonight. Nothing too fancy. Actually, you almost missed me. I was just on my way out. What are you doing here, Buffy? And who's that with you?"

Jack decided to jump in. "Colonel Jack O'Neill, ma'am. Cadet Summers and I were having dinner tonight to discuss the paper she wrote as well as her career. She had some news she wanted to share with you, so I agreed to stop by here first."

Joyce looked puzzled. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Colonel O'Neill. I'm Joyce Summers, Buffy's mother. So, Buffy, what's this news that couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

Jack watched as his smack started a couple of times, then stopped. Finally, she said, "Mom, I won't be able to come home for Christmas break. I..."

Joyce nodded. "So you finally decided for sure to go to Miami with Connie?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, it's not that. I'm confined to base, actually." Jack listened as Summers explained to Joyce what had happened. He could feel the tension ratchet up as Joyce became more and more angry. Finally, with blazing eyes, she turned to him.

"How could you let this happen, Colonel O'Neill?" Her gaze was fierce as she said it, making her even more attractive.

Jack started to reply, but she continued without missing a beat, "How dare the Air Force punish my daughter for exposing its dirty laundry. This is the biggest travesty I've ever heard of. Give me one good reason I shouldn't call my congressman and bring this up to him?"

"Because it wouldn't be right, Mom."

Both adults turned and looked at the girl who had just spoken. Jack watched as Summers met her mother's eyes unflinchingly. Then she spoke again. "What I did was wrong. The Powers That Be had every right to punish me for it. Otherwise, they did what they could by keeping my name out of it. I didn't have to testify. The Colonel saw to that. Otherwise, the other cadets would probably make my life pure hell. I'm not complaining about what happened. A lot of the people who cheated or were involved with the scandal are gone. I just found out from Colonel O'Neill that Merryman and Sheridan are finally in jail. Everything turned out fine."

Joyce shook her head. "Buffy, when I first found out that you were going into the Air Force, I had my doubts. But at least I thought you would be safe there. Now I find out there was a group that participated in sexual assaults of girls there. At least when you were sl... patrolling, I knew where you were and when you'd be home. Now I just-"

Buffy moved up and hugged her mom. "I am safe. I'm better than safe. I'm learning so much. Even this was a lesson learned. And I don't regret learning them. Any of them. Try not to worry too much, 'kay?"

Joyce smiled and touched her daughter's hair. "I make no promises, but I'll try." Turning back to Jack, she said, "I'm sorry for what I said, Colonel O'Neill. I-"

Jack waved a casual hand. "Please, call me Jack. I completely understand. She's your daughter and you want to protect her. I promise I'm keeping an eye on her. I don't know if I can keep her out of trouble; she seems to have a knack for it, but I'll do my best, Mrs. Summers."

Joyce smiled at him. Wow, Jack thought as he smiled back. "All right, Jack. Please call me Joyce." To Buffy, "Sweetheart, I really need to go. I will be able to visit you tomorrow, won't I?"

Buffy nodded vigorously. "Yes, you can. I can still have visitors, I just lost Christmas break and spring break privileges. So no beachy action for Buffy." Then she seemed to realize that Jack was standing right next to her and almost came to attention. Amused, Jack decided to tease her about it later.

Joyce sighed. "Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing." She ignored Buffy's outraged look. "I remember the things I got up to on spring break and they aren't things that a nineteen-year-old girl should be doing."

Jack thought Buffy was going to say something, but she managed to hold her tongue. Amused, he thought if he weren't here, she would have probably whined a little. Which in the grand scheme of things, could be forgiven.

"Well, then, Joyce, we won't take up any more of your time. I'm taking your daughter over to a pub called O'Malley's for dinner. They make a mean steak and she certainly needs all the food she can get." Smiling inward, Jack ignored the choked sound from next to him.

Joyce's eyes gleamed. "O'Malley's? Is that nearby, Jack?"

Jack smiled back. "Not far. Just off Berkman. You should try it sometime. It's very low key."

Buffy jumped back into the conversation. "Okay, then, Mom, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good time at the party." She was halfway to the door before Jack said his goodbyes and followed her. He held the door open for Joyce, then waited while she got into her Grand Cherokee and drove off with a wave.

Getting into his car, Jack was aware of Summers' silence. She didn't speak the rest of the way to O'Malley's. Finally, he decided to find out what was going on. "Spill, Cadet. What's going on?"

Her face a study of contrasting emotions, Summers sat in her seat. Finally, she said, "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

Jack nodded impatiently. "Of course. Go ahead."

"Were you just flirting with my mom, sir?"

Jack started to answer, then stopped, considering. Had he been flirting? Joyce was certainly an amazingly attractive woman. He'd definitely found her so. Thinking about it, Jack had to admit that he had flirted. Even better, she'd flirted back. "Yes, Cadet, I think I was."

"That is all I wanted to know, sir."

Jack, suddenly uncertain, asked, "Does that bother you, Summers?"

She shook her head. "No, sir. I thought it might, but it just does not. I only want the best for my mom. I do not mind that... the two of you enjoyed talking to each other."

With that, she sat back with a faint smile. So she'd noticed Joyce flirt back. Considering what she'd just said, Jack realized that she had just given him her endorsement as well as permission. He kept his expression neutral, but inwardly he was smiling as he got out of the car and headed into the restaurant.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Buffy stared at Colonel O'Neill. He loved her paper? Seriously? And he'd shown it to one of the scientists that worked there and _he_ liked it, too? Enough to ask the Colonel about one of the source books. "Wow... err... sorry, sir. I mean that I am very glad you enjoyed the paper."

Colonel O'Neill casually waved towards the bread. "Finish it off, Summers. I know you still have room for it in that bottomless pit you call a stomach."

Buffy's face burned as the truth of what he'd just said hit home. She could still eat a bit more, which was good because she still had desert coming. Basically, she had just duplicated the order from the first time she'd been there a month ago. It was just as good the second time. Including the bread, of which there was still half a loaf left, just begging to be buttered and devoured.

While Buffy ate, the colonel expanded on what he'd just said. "It was an excellent paper, Cadet. It was a little light on the military causes behind the fall of the Roman Empire, but then I think that's what Dr. Jackson liked best about it. Let's just say we tend to disagree about what the most important things in life are."

Buffy swallowed the last of the bread and washed it down a deep sip of sweetened tea. Ahh, that hit the spot, she thought. Just in case the Colonel expected a response, Buffy decided to speak. "I do appreciate it, sir."

"Well, you won't after you get your next assignment. Because now that I see what kind of work you can do, I'm not going to settle for anything less. Got that?"

Buffy knew her eyes were getting huge. "Yes, sir!" Shit, she thought, I'm going to have to top what I did this last time. That's going to suck.

"If you continue to do this quality work, I'm going to see about getting you some bonus credit for it, possibly in your history and English classes." The Colonel held up his hand. "Don't thank me until after you've actually done all of the work. Speaking of which, before I get to your next assignment, I wanted to ask you for a favor. Dr. Jackson was hoping to be able to see one of the books from which your drew a reference. _Pax Romana_, I think it was? He has an interest in that sort of thing, which is why I showed him the paper to begin with. I told him I would ask if it would be possible."

Buffy thought quickly. Was there anything in the book that could betray her? There was a brief mention of the Slayer, but it was disguised by flowery language that made it almost impossible to figure out. It was also the official reason that Giles had had it in his library. Buffy knew the unofficial reason was that he just loved old books.

"Yes, sir, I can do that. However, sir, I do need to let you know something."

The colonel raised on eyebrow in question. "And what's that, Cadet?"

"It is written in Latin, sir."

"That's okay, I'm pretty sure Dan... Dr. Jackson reads Latin. Wait, _you_ read Latin, Summers?" He stared at her as if she'd grown a second head.

Buffy flushed at the amazement in his voice. "A little. I am not super-fluent or anything, sir. But I can get by. We needed something to do when we were waiting for those pesky gangs back in Sunnydale, sir."

Colonel O'Neill nodded, still looking bemused by what Buffy had said. Finally, he spoke, "So when can I give Dr. Jackson the book?"

Buffy quickly thought about it, then casually mentioned. "It is at home right now, sir. I used it at Thanksgiving for research. The easiest way to get it would be to contact my mom directly. I can give you her phone number if you would like, sir."

The Colonel froze for a moment, then casually nodded in agreement. "That would be fine, Cadet. Now about that new assignment..."

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Buffy smiled as she walked down the hall towards her room. She had just set up mom up with Colonel O'Neill. Well, kinda, anyway. The ball was in his court. He had Joyce's home and work numbers and a reason to call her. Buffy wondered if she should give her mom a heads up tomorrow when she came to visit, but decided it would be better not to, just in case Colonel O'Neill didn't call her.

The other thing the Colonel had done was to give her permission to use contractions in his presence. He'd basically said something about Mickey Mouse crap and to just talk like a normal person. Which was a relief. While not using them at the Zoo kinda made sense to Buffy, since it did teach you to think carefully about what you were saying and about clear communication, it didn't make sense to do so everywhere else. Especially somewhere you were relaxing. Colonel O'Neill had also said that since she was stuck on base for the foreseeable future, he'd drag her out to his place at some point for a BBQ some Sunday. That way she would have at least some kind of normality. Buffy had smiled and thanked him. He really was a great guy. She wondered how she'd gotten lucky enough to have him pick her to sponsor?

Buffy had learned a great deal about how to be an officer by watching how the Colonel dealt with the various things that had come up. From making sure she was okay himself, to not wasting even an hour when she'd finally told him about the Merryman situation, Colonel O'Neill had taught her that an officer went to bat for his people. You still roasted them over the coals a bit when they did something iffy, but you then defended them from everyone else. Buffy just hoped she was worthy of all of his support.

Buffy got her key out and was just about to unlock her door, when she caught sight of a familiar face heading down the hallway towards her. She froze for a long moment, then started to turn the key, stopping as a large male arm blocked the doorway. Looking up, she met Gator's dark, blue eyes.

"Cadet Summers."

"Yes, sir!" Buffy stood to attention, difficult with him looming over her. She could smell the faint scent of aftershave and another smell that was just him, musky and male.

He looked at her carefully, then put his hand over hers and turned the key. Turning the knob, Gator opened her door, pulled her inside with him, then closed it behind them. He stood there staring down at her. Buffy wondered if there was something on her face, like maybe some butter or possibly some A-1 sauce, so intent was his stare.

Neutrally, he asked, "How have you been, Cali?"

So that was how he wanted to play it. "Fine, sir!"

Gator winced, then visibly calmed himself. "I've been wanting to talk to you."

Buffy was cool in her response. "Yes, sir?"

"Can the seven, Cali. I..." Gator stopped, and ran rough fingers through his short hair. "I've been doing a lot of thinking. I've been thinking about what happened last week."

"Sir, I do not understand!"

"Goddammit, Cali, can that crap. Shit. This is not how I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to say I was sorry I ever doubted you. That I should have trusted you."

Buffy was dumbfounded. Staring into his eyes, she asked softly, "So, you believe me?"

Gator nodded. "Yes, I do. I'm sorry it took so long for me to come talk to you. That's partially because it took me a while to think things over. Also, partly because I was worried."

Buffy started to enjoy herself. In an innocent voice, she asked, "Worried, sir?"

Gator gave her a sharp glance, then snorted. "Yes, dammit, worried. I was worried you wouldn't accept my apology. That I'd burned my bridges with you."

"I see, sir."

"I see, Gator."

Buffy smiled. "I see, Gator."

He smiled back. "So I thought I'd come by and talk to you. I know I shouldn't. The last thing you need is to get involved with someone like me. But I like you, Cali. You're special." With that, he leaned in and kissed her. It was as good or better than any of his previous kisses, and Buffy could feel her toes curl. She put her arms around Gator's neck, feeling the thick muscles there bunch as his hands slid around her waist. He stayed a complete gentleman, though and didn't touch her any further, though his tongue plundered her mouth. After a few minutes of playing tonsil-hockey, Buffy wanted more and allowed her hands to move from around his neck to touch his butt. Deliberately, she squeezed his firm buttocks, feeling the shock race through him at her boldness.

He nearly growled as he literally picked her up around the waist and carried her over to her bunk. Laying her down, he covered her with his body, pressing her into the mattress. Buffy could feel how aroused he was as he ground his erection against her thigh. Breaking their kiss, he slid his mouth down the delicate line of her jaw. Nuzzling her there, his right hand made short shrift of the buttons of Buffy's jacket. His big hand cupped the mound of her breast through her blouse and bra.

Buffy's breath came in sharp pants as she arched into his hand. Her nipples were hard as rocks and she felt a dampness soaking into her panties as she became more and more aroused. Letting her own hands roam over Gator's chest and back, they finally came to rest on his chest. Buffy tentatively unbuttoned his shirt, then let her hands grip his undershirt, feeling the thick muscles beneath.

At the same time she was opening his shirt, he'd returned the favor. Buffy was conscious of his hand on her breast again with just the thin material of her bra between it and her skin. Then as he pushed her bra up, there was just his skin and hers. Strong fingers skillfully teased her nipple, making her gasp. She pulled his face back to hers for a searing kiss, her tongue pushing out to meet his.

He broke the kiss again, this time moving his mouth lower. He licked her neck, then continued down. Still fondling and squeezing her breast, he sucked on the underside of her breast. Moving his hand aside, he took her nipple into his mouth, pulling hard. There seemed to be a line connecting her breast to her groin as Buffy felt every pull of Gator's mouth there. Thinking about how his mouth would feel between her legs almost put Buffy over the edge. She started to grind her body against his hardness.

Then he pulled back from her, sitting up, his breathing ragged. Buffy sat up as well, pulling her blouse closed, and pushing her skirt, which was almost hiked up to her waist, down. She wondered how he was going to explain this.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Gator could hardly sit, he was so aroused. It was actually painful as his uniform slacks compressed him. You didn't feel that way a few minutes ago when you were grinding yourself against Cali, he reminded himself, so don't think about it. Unfortunately, the admonishment only made him more aware of the girl who occupied the bed with him.

He turned to stared at Cali. Her eyes were huge pools of green as she stared back. Her lips were swollen. She'd pulled her blouse mostly closed, but she was breathing as raggedy as he was and every deep breath made things move there. Very interesting things.

Stop it, he told himself. You've seen a woman's tits before. But those hadn't been Cali's. Seeing her, touching her, had been arousing beyond belief. Her mouth tasted of chocolate, while the skin of her neck and breasts tasted clean and smelled faintly of vanilla. Even now, he wanted to go back and touch her breasts, taste her skin and peel the rest of her uniform off.

Which would be a disaster if they were caught, especially with Cali already assigned punishment detail. Who knows how much more drill they'd assign her if that happened. She might even get kicked out. The last thing he wanted was to do that to her. After a moment, he said, "Button up your blouse, Cali, or I won't be responsible for what I do." His voice came out harsher and more rasping that he had wanted and he wondered if he had offended her. Somehow he doubted it though, seeing the mysterious smile that graced her lips.

Great, he thought, I've amused her again. But at least he knew one thing for sure now. Cali hadn't slept with that fuckcrack Sher. She was one hell of a kisser, but otherwise, she was one of the most inexperienced girls he'd ever made out with. She made up for it by just how passionately she responded to him, though. Feeling her lithe little body writhing under him as he sucked on her hard nipples turned him on even more. The little moans and groans that had sounded as if they were being torn from her hadn't hurt either. Dear God, Gator thought, Cali was one hell of a sexy girl. And he had to stop thinking about it or he be all over her again.

"So, was that what you wanted to talk about?" Cali's tone was innocent, but Gator could hear the irony in her words. Coloring, he scowled at her. Unfortunately, it was hard to intimidate someone who had just had their tongue down your throat.

"I... I didn't come here intending to do this. I'm sor... screw that. I'm not sorry for what we did, I enjoyed it. But I didn't come here to make out with you, Cali. I actually came to apologize and to say we needed to be careful about what we did..." Gator trailed off, mesmerized by the gamine grin she wore. A grin that grew into a laugh.

"Okay, let me get this straight. Please excuse me if I'm a little slow, I am a smack after all. You came here to apologize and warn me that we needed to be careful, but ended up sucking my... ah... getting to second base with me? Does that about sum it up?"

Gator could feel his face reddening at Cali's ironic tone. Despite her tone, she was smiling though. And it brought an answering smile to his lips. "Pretty much."

She'd finished up putting everything back in place and doing up all her buttons. Only her swollen lips and mussed hair gave evidence that anything had happened. She jumped off of the bed. "So what now? Where do we go from here?"

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Buffy stared at Gator as she asked her questions. "So what now? Where do we go from here?"

She'd gotten up because the last thing she wanted was to be sitting so close to him when he still looked so good. Eyes so dark they were almost black stared up at her. He sat on his elbows, which showed off his chiseled physique to good advantage. He was in amazing shape, as Buffy could attest, having just touched most of his body, even though she'd done so through his clothes, not having the nerve to strip him as he'd done her. All she'd done was unbutton his uniform shirt. Even then she'd kept her hands outside his undershirt. Buffy was just glad he'd called a stop to it because she wasn't sure she would have, not at least short of actually having sex.

Gator finally answered. "I don't know. I want to be with you. I want to date you. But you know the rules. Smacks aren't allowed to date anyone but other smacks, so that means dating me is a no-no."

Buffy frowned. Gator was right. She wasn't allowed to date him. "So I guess we don't date. We can be friends though."

His eyes were dark with frustration. "After what happened, do you think I want to be friends with you, Cali?"

She shook her head. "Maybe not. But as you just said, we can't date. It violates the regs and is the wrong thing to do. And it's the last thing either of us needs. We can always date after you graduate."

He sighed heavily and gave her a long look. "Would either of us want to wait that long?"

Buffy hesitated, then finally said, "Look, Gator, the only suggestion I have is this: We give the friends thing a try. If nothing else, at least we'll know if it's worth trying to maintain a relationship after you're done with the Zoo. The thing is, I liked you as a person long before I considered dating you. You're one of the most interesting guys I've met since entering the Zoo. But if you don't want to be friends."

"I want to." The very emphaticness of Gator's statement seemed to surprise even him. He smiled as if coming to a realization. "I want to be your friend, Cali. Hell, I feel the same way. I like you a lot. What you did to that damn jarhead back in October was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. But I noticed you before that. How patient you were with everyone in UC. How calm and centered you always were. How cute you looked in a gi. So let's be friends."

"Okay." Buffy smiled, the frowned as something occurred to her. "I need to warn you though."

"About what?"

Buffy sighed. "I don't plan to be little miss play nice while I'm here. I patrolled my home town hunting gangs. Lots and lots of gangs. I won't keep my head in the sand when I see problems. Especially with the damn culture here. I've heard too many stories since I've been here about women being raped and not to trust any upperclassmen. That's fucking bullshit. If I catch someone doing something illegal, I'm going to bust their ass. If I don't think I can do that through Admin, I'm going to do it myself. So, I might not be the most comfortable friend to have."

Gator shook his head. "Damn, Cali. You're pretty ambitious." He appeared to think it over for all of five seconds. "Screw it. You're exactly the kind of friend I want to have. I've always hated when those sick fucks, who someday are going to be officers, joke around about screwing some drunk smack. But it's so hard to do anything about it." He lowered his head, looking down.

Buffy touched his arm, getting him to look up. "You're not alone, okay? I'm with you. And I know I can't change the world. I just want to leave this a better place than I found it. The Powers are going to be making some changes. I'm not sure how many of them are going to work, but at least things are going in the right direction."

Gator grinned. "I'm not so sure about that. Did you hear that you can't even yell at the smacks as they're getting off the bus next year? You have to be nice and polite to them."

Buffy grinned back. "Like that bothered any of us. Hell, we were looking forward to it all during BCT. I guess the Powers are trying though."

"Maybe. Tell you what, Cali. For our first friend's thing, let's get together tomorrow after Chapel and watch TV at Arnold Hall."

Buffy smiled. "Okay, that sounds cool. I'll bring the popcorn. What's on?"

"Miami-Broncos game. It's the last game of the season... I take it you don't want to watch it?" He apparently saw her frown.

Buffy shrugged. "It's cool. There's just this really interesting figure skating competition going on. It's a major qualifier for the Winter Games next year."

"Tell you what. We'll flip back and forth. How's that sound?" His slow, lazy grin made Buffy want to jump him again. Bad Buffy.

Instead, Buffy put out her hand. "Gator, you've got yourself a deal."

_A week and a half later..._

Buffy stared at the page in front of her. She had barely slept the past two nights as she studied her ass off. All in the name of trying to keep her grades up. The same grades which still had a small chance of being all A's, provided she aced her chemistry and calculus finals. Well, not aced exactly, but she had to make a 96 and a 94 respectively, to get A's in both classes. Buffy had actually taken the time to figure out what she needed despite knowing she had a snowball's chance in hell of getting it. These classes were _hard!_

Her other classes were a bit easier. As long as she got medium to high B's in those finals, she would keep her A's in all of them. Of course, it was one thing to know that, it was another to actually do it. Buffy thought that she'd managed to keep her A's in those classes, but she hadn't had time to actually go by and check her grades with her instructors on those finals.

Currently she was taking her Chem 141 final. It wasn't that it was so hard as much as how long it was. How was anyone expected to solve forty problems in an hour and fifty minutes? That was less than three minutes a problem, which was not cool. Already she had two pieces of scratch paper completely covered in calculations. And she'd only answered fourteen questions!

If somehow she got through this one, she just had Math 141 left. Thank God she'd waited to take physics until next semester. The general engineering class she'd taken instead hadn't been that bad, despite Buffy never having had any real exposure to engineering. The small class size had let her ask a lot of questions, as well as get a lot of help from her professor. Connie had also filled in some gaps that had helped Buffy a lot.

Military Theory hadn't even been hard. It was mostly just talking about what was expected of them as Air Force officers. It was funny, but when Lieutenant Colonel Richards had asked her a supposedly difficult ethics question about what she'd do as an Air Force officer, all Buffy could think of was how would Colonel O'Neill handle it? When she'd answered it that way, she gotten one of Decker's rare smiles and a nod of approval.

English hadn't been bad at all. Relatively simple, and with the least homework of any of her classes. Well, outside of P.E., which oddly enough, also had homework. Go figure.

Computer Science had been the class that had most intimidated Buffy going in. Apparently, though, Willow had rubbed off on more than she'd ever imagined. Buffy had actually found it, not easy, but not hard. You just needed to do the work and it wasn't too bad. And now Buffy could program a series of calculus equations in C++, which she would never have imagined doing before.

Buffy answered the question and moved onto the next. Now, what _was_ the dielectric constant of water?

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

Buffy looked for Connie. Finals were over and she'd just gotten her grades. She wanted to catch Connie before she took off for Christmas break. But she was nowhere to be found. Buffy knew where she was getting a ride from, but didn't see her out front of the Student Union. Finally, Buffy decided to check inside on the off chance Connie was using a phone.

Bingo. Buffy watched Connie talk, one of her hands waving excitedly. She had a piece of paper clutched in that hand. Buffy didn't need Slayer vision to know that Connie was holding her grades and was probably telling her dad all about them. Smiling, Buffy watched, knowing that in a little while, she'd be doing the same. After all, her mom had threatened to not cook her famous Christmas ham if Buffy didn't share.

After a few minutes, Connie wound down. Buffy caught her eye as she walked up. "Hey, Connie. Who were you talking to?"

Connie bubbled, "My dad. He's so proud of me."

Buffy smiled. "Let me see." She took the piece of paper Connie handed her. She quickly perused it:

**C4C Perez, Conchita Maria Fall, 1999**

Course Course Name Hours Grade Score

CHEM 141 Applications of Chemistry 1 3 B- 2.7

COMP SCI 110 Introduction to Computing 3 A 4.0

ENGLISH 111 Introductory Comp & Research 3 A 4.0

MATH 141 Calculus 3 A 3.0

ENGR 100 Intro to Engineering Systems 3 A 4.0

MSS 100 Mil Theory, Strategy, Officership 3 A- 3.7

N/A Physical Education 1 A 4.0

**SUMMARY 19 CREDITS GPA 3.59**

"That's great, Connie! You kicked ass!"

"I know. I was so afraid I was going to get a C plus in Chem instead of that B minus. God, I studied so hard. It was completely worth it. How about you? Let me see your grades."

Buffy held them out to Connie. Diffidently, she said, "I did okay."

**C4C Summers, Buffy Anne Fall, 1999**

Course Course Name Hours Grade Score

CHEM 141 Applications of Chemistr 4.0

COMP SCI 110 Introduction to Computing 3 A 4.0

ENGLISH 111 Introductory Comp & Research 3 A 4.0

MATH 141 Calculus 3 A 4.0

ENGR 100 Intro to Engineering Systems 3 A 4.0

MSS 100 Mil Theory, Strategy, Officership 3 A 4.0

N/A Physical Education 1 A 4.0

**SUMMARY 19 CREDITS GPA 4.00  
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Connie's eyes bulged as she read Buffy's grades. "Holy shit, Cali! You pulled a 4.0. You got an A in _everything_. That is sooo the shit, girl." Connie held up her hand and Buffy gave her a high-five. The two girls grinned at one other.

Part of Buffy's smile was relief. She should have known that Connie wouldn't be jealous because she'd done well in her classes. Connie was actually as excited as Willow had been all those months ago at Buffy's SAT scores. Buffy felt a faint sadness as she thought about Willow and how much she would have enjoyed college. Then she responded to Connie's congratulations. "Thanks, Connie. I have to admit I nearly had a heart attack when I saw them. I was sitting on the cusp in Calculus and Chemistry. I needed nearly perfect scores on both finals. Mom is going to freak. In high school, the highest grades I ever got were all B's on one report card."

Connie shook her head. "Well, you're not making B's now. Still planning to write that report during break?"

Buffy grimaced. "Unfortunately, yes. The Incas, how fascinating. They made mummies, you know."

Connie laughed. "Cali, you know the strangest things. Well my ride's here. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Buffy hugged her, then grabbed one of Connie's bags. She slung them into the trunk of the dark blue Mustang. Gator was driving. As Connie got in, Buffy walked around to the driver's side. "Thanks again, Gator."

He shrugged and gave her a sly sidelong glance. "What are friends for? Cali, you take care of yourself. Have a good break." He held his right hand out the window to Buffy. She took it, squeezing it lightly, while looking him in the eye. After a moment, she released it and moved off. She gave their car a final wave as she watched them drive off. Well, she'd better call her mom about her grades. Buffy so wanted to hear her flip out.

/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\LELB/\

As Cali's figure receded behind them, Connie turned to Cadet Pierson. "Thank you for the ride, sir."

He smiled distractedly at her. "No problem, cad... Connie. We don't need to stand on ceremony. We've escaped from the Zoo at least for a couple of weeks. Call me Gator."

"All right... Gator." Connie thought about asking if she could flip on the radio, but decided he was being nice enough just giving her a ride. Catching a taxi would have cost $40 at least. Waiting for one of the shuttle buses would have made Connie miss her flight.

Sitting there, she wondered if she dared ask him about his relationship with her roommate. It was odd. One day they'd been going hot and heavy, the next they'd been super casual. Just friends. Like Connie had bought that. Still, their relationship was against regs and while Cali might have flaunted it before getting Boarded, she was unlikely to do so now.

"So, Connie, how was your first semester?"

"It was fine si... Gator. Sorry, I tend to automatically sir everything male. My dad's going to be so happy."

Gator waggled his eyebrows and grinned. "Mine certainly was."

"Gator, can I ask you a question?"

He shrugged. "It depends. Personal or professional?"

"Personal."

"Ask. If I don't want to answer, I won't."

Better than she'd expected. Connie asked, "What's up with you and Cali?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment. Finally, he said, "It's complicated. And not something I want to talk about. Let's just say we're friends and leave it at that."

Connie slowly nodded. She'd been right. "That's cool. So you going to see any movies over break? Cause I'm thinking _The Sixth Sense_. I missed it when they had that showing at Arnold Hall back in October."

_The Initiative, Sunnydale, California..._

Walsh looked at Colonel McNamara in dislike. "You're sure about your facts, Colonel?"

He shrugged. "As certain as I can be under the circumstances. I don't have any actual proof, however. Nothing that I can take to our superiors in the NID. That's why I came to you."

Walsh gave her analysis of the situation. "So, we have one human-appearing girl, who not only passed her Air Force physical without any flags being raised, but who has been at the Academy for over five months now without an incident. A girl, who you are convinced is a demon of some kind. That about sum it up?" Walsh decided not to mention the Slayer to McNamara. She didn't want to waste time on something she barely believed in despite recent evidence to the contrary. Besides, there was only supposed to be one of them at a time.

McNamara looked offended. "There _was_ an incident. What else do you call a hundred-pound girl beating a Marine more than twice her size? Dr. Walsh, I know you believe I'm overreacting about this, however I disagree. I think we should get her here and at least find out what's going on with her."

Walsh nodded. She agreed. If the girl turned out to be what Walsh now thought she was, she would be very interested in "finding out what's going on with her." "All right, Colonel. How do you suggest we go about it?"

McNamara appeared thoughtful. "It can't be immediate. She's buttoned up at the Academy right now and will be until summer break. Then she gets three weeks leave before starting Third Class summer studies. She's supposed to get three weeks seasoning at a base at the beginning of her Third Class Summer. I think we can move that up to so that she goes straight from the Academy to her assigned base, which will be here. I can cut orders to that effect, saying that's the only time slot we have open and that she can take her summer leave after that. She'll consider it a privilege. When she gets here, we won't process her in. She'll just disappear. As far as the Academy is concerned, she never made it out here. When she doesn't show back up for the rest of her summer term, they'll consider her AWOL. It's not as if the Academy doesn't have this sort of thing happen. They won't devote much time or effort to looking for her."

"And if she does turn out to be completely human?" Walsh already knew the right answer, but she wanted to see if Colonel McNamara had what it took to see this through to the end.

He gave her a cold look. "Then we get to finally see the siring process all the way from the beginning through to its end."

Walsh gave a grim nod. "That sounds like a workable plan, Colonel. I'll leave it in your capable hands." She doubted the girl was human, somehow. Even if she was, Walsh wasn't sure she wanted to waste her time monitoring a dead-end process. Adam, she thought, how would you like a sister?


End file.
